The Ierokitsune
by Nyghtmare
Summary: AU. Naruto has become the new Kyuubi. He will have to handle a more powerful Akatsuki, Orochimaru, and finding the other eight jinchuuriki who will become bijuu. Will Naruto be able to fulfill his destiny? Or will his godlike powers corrupt him?
1. Prologue

_In this world, there are several thousand different types of creatures. There are four types of beings that command power over the others. In order of importance, they are Gods, Angels, Demons, and Humans. They have powers that help keep the balance in our universe._

_Gods are beings of magnificent power. They have total control of the nature of our universe. Each god is entrusted to watch over a specific part of the universe. Angels are messengers of joy and peace. They possess the power to heal both physical and spiritual wounds. Humans possess 1/1,000,000,000__th__ of the power of a god. This power, known as chakra, allows the humans to show reign over the domain that is the Earth._

_And then there are demons. These creatures are not evil as one is led to believe. They are dark creatures, yes, but they are messengers of death for the unjust, beacons of light for those that are wrongly oppressed. Demons use the dark power of gods, known as yokai, to do such a thing._

_The laws of the universe state that these life forms cannot turn into the other. Should that happen chaos will be bound to the universe. But a man seeks to break this law. In fact he is directly in the process of accomplishing his dastardly goal. To counterbalance the inevitable chaos that will follow, the King of Gods will do the unthinkable…_

_A human will be merged with a demon._

* * *

Darkness enshrouds the terrain; daybreak is coming. Up a narrow dirt path, a massive forest can be seen. Most common people walk through Hi no Hayashi (The Forest of Fire), and never, ever notice them. They sit amongst the trees, always watching, ready to strike down the first threat to their home.

What is this home you ask? Who are these people? That home is Konohagakure no Sato (The Village Hidden within the Leaves); these people are Konohagakure Shinobi. The village, known as Konoha, is a massive village located in the center of the forest. It is a ninja village, a place where ninja are trained for combat.

Now Konoha sleeps peacefully in the humid night air. Shinobi stealthy move throughout the streets, making sure no crimes are committed. The civilians sleep with no amount of worry in their bones. Animals of the night made their hunting cries. It was a normal night.

In a remote part of the village, several men and a woman sat in total darkness. They had an air of prestige amongst them. The leader of the group stood and cleared his throat. He was a young man, no older than 25 or 26. He had hair blonde like straw. His tan skin was flawless. He had blue eyes that were clear like a pool of water. The man wore a long white lab coat, a green military flak jacket underneath, and baggy black pants. The man scanned the room, noticing that a seat was empty. He sighed and said, "It seems Fugaku is taking a day off. It's a damn shame. I actually needed him here.

"(Sigh) Right, anyway, we have a pressing issue. The Kyuubi no Kitsune (The Demon Fox with Nine Tails) has appeared in Ame no Kuni (Land of Rain)." A man raised his hand, interrupting the blonde leader. He had long jet black hair and pale skin. He would have looked like the average man, if it were not for the fact that his eyes were completely white. His rich clothing, a simple silk kimono dyed the color of the sky at twilight, also made him stand out. The blonde leader acknowledged the man with a look of steel. You would never guess the two were lifelong best friends. "Yes Lord Hyuuga?"

"What do we have to worry about? The Kyuubi is our ally." The blonde leader hesitated before saying, "He is back. The accursed one." This elicited several gasps from the other lord in the room. The one woman in the room, who looked more like a wild creature than a female, said, "I thought that the Shodaime sealed him away in hell?"

"I wish I could explain Tsume but I can't. The point is that he was last seen in Ame. Put it together you guys." It didn't take a genius to realize what would happen next.

A portly man with a wild mane of red hair quietly said, "What can we do against a demon?" The leader sighed and said, "Get everyone the hell out of dodge." A blonde man sitting next to the robust red-head said, "Are you going to…"

"Yeah. Tomorrow, I'm issuing martial law."

* * *

The young lord materialized in front of his home. He opened the secret door and was met by a glowing white blade. It was wielded by a boy who appeared to be about 15 years of age. He had short spiky grey hair and tan skin. He wore the Konoha headband most ninja wear. It was tilted so that it covered his left eye. He wore a blue body suit that had brown straps. Metal shoulder pads adorned the suit. Finally, a matching blue half mask covered his face.

"The incident in Tsuchi," the boy stated calmly. The young lord began laughing and said, "You almost lost your virginity to that cross dresser. Obito and I had to save you from being renamed Lil' Sweet Cheeks." The boy deactivated his saber before scowling under his mask and saying, "Hey! I knew it was a guy! I was trying to do some reconnaissance. I didn't need your help Minato-sensei."

"Sure Kakashi-kun," Minato said. The amusement in his face vanished and the same look of steel returned. Minato's voice became stuck in his throat before saying, "How is Kushina-chan?" Kakashi straightened up and smiled. "Tsunade-sama arrived before sunset. She healed Lady Kushina! She and the baby will be alright, although the baby may get sick easier than most."

Minato smiled and said, "Kakashi-kun, tell Rin and Obito to meet at the Hokage Tower in the morning. Tell them it's important. " Minato walked past the boy and said, "I love you Kakashi-kun. The baby won't change that." The man continued up the stairs, leaving Kakashi confused as to how he could sense what was in his heart.

* * *

The next morning, Kakashi sat in front of a large tower in the center of the village. He kept darting furtive looks at the girl across from him. She had short, straight, reddish-brown hair. Her smooth, creamy skin seemed to glow in the sunlight. On both cheeks were two tattoos, both in the shape of fangs. A small white dog sat on her lap, asleep. She fiddled with her pink kimono and sighed from boredom. Kakashi finally broke the silence by saying, "Obito is always late."

"He's your best friend. You should have a talk with him about it," the girl said tiredly. '_Why can't I ask her out on a date? I've fought against squads of Jonin, but I can't work up the nerve to ask a teenage girl to go to the movies. I'm such a loser._' The grey haired boy sighed.

Suddenly, a boy came running around the corner. He had short spiky black hair, and matching eyes. His skin wasn't tan like Kakashi's but it was darker than normal. He was shorter than Kakashi as well. The boy wore a black and orange jumpsuit.

"Yo Rin! Lil' Sweet Cheeks! What's shaking?" the boy shouted loudly before cracking up…and tripping. Kakashi shook his head before saying, "I can't believe I almost lost to you in the Chuunin Exams last year." The girl, Rin, giggled and said, "Obito-kun, you should be more careful. And why are you so late?" Obito began laughing and said, "I stayed at Misumi's last night and I lost track of time. You know how it is right Kakashi?" The dark hair boy winked at Kakashi and earned a punch from Rin.

"You damn perv!" she screamed. Kakashi mumbled something under his breath, but the sound was picked up by Rin's acute ears. She smiled at him and said, "We should go inside." Rin begins to head to the door and the small puppy runs after her. Kakashi stares at her as she walks by. "Dude, are you gonna ask her out or are you gonna keep staring at her ass when she walks past?"

"I don't stare at her butt. Do I?" Kakashi asked. Obito laughed got up and the two friends walked into the tower. They walked up the stairs and entered the door at the end of the hall. Minato stood at the window and looked at the villagers, blissfully unaware of the dangers lurking out there.

"Now that you're all here," Minato said, turning to look at them, "I have missions for you three. Kakashi Hatake, Jonin of Konoha, I have an SS-Rank mission for you. You must help the other Jonin and ANBU defend the village from an oncoming invasion." The three gasped at this news. The war ended only a few months ago; was this newfound peace gone already? "Who's invading sensei?" Kakashi asked. "Two men; the Kyuubi no Kitsune and the accursed one." Obito's skin paled at hearing this. "No way! I thought that he—" Minato raised his hand and said, "It's not important now. All Jonin and ANBU must stay to help."

"I accept sensei." Minato nods at him. "Now for you two. Rin Inuzuka, Chuunin of Konoha, I have an A-Rank mission for you. You will also stay in the village with Tsunade and heal any casualties. Do you accept?" Rin nodded.

"Now for you Obito Uchiha, Tokubestu Jonin of Konoha, I have an S-Rank mission for you. I want you to defend the civilians in case we fail to stop them. Do you accept?" Obito stared at Minato before replying, "Why can't I stay and help? I'm damn near a Jonin!"

Minato sighed and said, "I think you would be better suited in the Hokage Mountains. If you do not accept, its fine, but you can't stay in Konoha." Obito growled and said, "I accept."

* * *

For the next few weeks, Konoha was unnaturally still. All civilians were in hiding in the mountains, while the Shinobi waited in the village. It seemed that the accursed one was not coming after them. The blonde leader walked through the village, surveying his men when suddenly; a dark force gripped his soul. "HE'S HERE!!!!"

Suddenly, dark clouds materialized over the village. Bolts of black lightning struck the village, and it burst into flames. Suddenly, the main gate of the village exploded. Two men strolled in as if they were walking through the forest on a Sunday morning. The short man wore a long black cloak that covered his face. The other man was much taller. He had wild red hair that seemed to spike. His red eyes were soulless, obvious signs that he was under some type of mind control. His face was marked by whiskers like a fox. He wore a vest made of red fox pelts and no shirt underneath, exposing his chiseled torso. He wore black pants that fit his lower half snugly. Nine long, red, white-tipped tails where behind him, twisting and contorting as if they had minds of their own.

"Wow, Konoha has really changed in the last 70 years! It's unfortunate I'm about to lay it to waste." Minato looked at the man and said, "The Konoha ninja won't back down. ATTACK!" The ninja flung themselves at the two men. The Kyuubi made some hand seals and said, "Oni Bijutsu: Rasenfuzei (_Demon Art: Spiraling Air_)!" The air shot forth in the form of a tornado and consumed the army, flinging them all over the village.

Kakashi leapt up and made hand seals. He held his palm out and a current of water formed. He charged the Kyuubi and said, "Suiton: Hahonryuu (_Water Release: Destruction Torrent_)!" Just before Kakashi could reach him, the Kyuubi's red eyes turned the darkest shade of black. Kakashi stopped running, and screamed as black flames erupted all over his body. The Kyuubi stared lifelessly at the boy as he writhed in pain. Kakashi finally stopped moving, and melted into water!

The ground behind the Kyuubi gave way and Kakashi leapt out, the current of water still in his palm. He thrust his palm into the back of the demon lord's head, and a massive explosion of water sent the beast into the air. "Sensei! Your turn!" Kakashi shouted.

Minato opened his hand and leapt after the Kyuubi. A small blue sphere formed in his palm. It quickly increased in size until it was as big as a coconut. It turned yellow and lightning surrounded it. "Raiton: Rasengan (_Lightning Release: Spiraling Sphere_)!" Once those words escaped Minato's lips, he slammed his hand into the beast's chest. The Kyuubi screamed in pain and dropped to the ground with a sickening thud. His body twitched as lightning covered his form.

The cloaked man was impressed and began clapping. "It seems that the village itself was not the only thing to improve! The ninja are much stronger as well. Too bad you will die in about, oh, one second!" He screamed. The Kyuubi's clawed hand pierced Minato's chest.

* * *

Obito was silently hiding behind a building. He watched his best friend and master attack the beast and defeat him. Obito sighed, thinking the battle was over. Until the beast leapt up and killed his master!

Obito jumped out of his hiding place and made hand seals. "Katon: Dai Endan (_Fire Release: Great Fireball_)!!" A massive fireball was flung from Obito's mouth and was sent sailing towards the Kyuubi.

The Demon Lord simply raised his free hand and caught the fireball. He then threw it at a group of ninja who were attempting to attack him, thus ending their own lives. Obito paled, realizing he killed five of his comrades.

The Kyuubi removed his hand from Minato's chest and flung himself at Obito. Suddenly, a katana pierced the Kyuubi's side. Minato thrust his palm into the Kyuubi's face and screamed, "Rasenshushou(Spiraling Palm)!!!"

Kyuubi screamed as the very space around him seemed to spin and contort. The sound of a gunshot was heard and Kyuubi was sent flying into the sky. "What are you doing here, Obito?!?!" Before the boy could reply, Minato grabbed him and they vanished as the ground they were standing on burst into black flames.

The Kyuubi dropped back to the ground and roared. The sound of birds was heard and Kakashi came running out of the blue. "Raikiri (Lightning Blade)!!!!!" His hand was encompassed in white lightning as he thrust his hand through the Kyuubi's chest. He continued to thrust his hand in over and over until the beast smacked him away with his tails.

The beast began making hand seals and screamed, "Oni Bijutsu: Honoo Seirei (Demonic Art: Flaming Spirit)!!!!!" A large stream of fire spewed from Kyuubi's mouth and made its way to Kakashi. Before it could reach, Hiashi, garbed in Konoha battle attire, leapt in front of him and began spinning. A shield of chakra formed and diverted the blast toward an abandoned building.

Two cyclones began pounding into Kyuubi. "Gatsuuga (Fang over Fang)!!!!!" Kyuubi grabbed the two cyclones and revealed the wild looking woman from the meeting and a large wolf like dog. He flung them into a building nearby, causing it to collapse on them. Suddenly, thousands of insects surrounded the Kyuubi and began eating away at his chakra.

"The Kikai will eat away at your chakra until there's nothing left. I'm sorry it had to end this way," said a man garbed in a white lab coat, white pants, and black shades. The accursed one laughed and said, "Your plan would have worked if Kyuubi possessed chakra!" As if on cue, red energy exploded around Kyuubi. All the insects died almost instantly. The white man gasped and tried to move back. A fist of the strange red energy pounded him into the ground.

Kyuubi walked toward the man to kill him and put him out of his misery. Suddenly, he could not move! His shadow was being restrained by another man's, a man with spiky, black hair pulled into a ponytail resembling a pineapple. His outfit was similar to Kyuubi's, except his pelts were made from deer fur. "Kumorigarandou (Shadow Void)!!!!!" The shadows at Kyuubi's feet began to pool until it extended a few feet from him on all sides. Tendrils of shadow burst from the pool and wrapped themselves around Kyuubi. They began to pull him into the pool of shadows slowly. The man began sweating due to the amount of chakra the attack required and the strength of the demon lord. The tendrils gave way and Kyuubi freed himself before being swallowed by the portal. He quickly closed the gap between the two and began pounding the man into oblivion.

Hiashi flung kunai at Kyuubi to draw his attention away from the defenseless man. They buried themselves in his back and he howled in annoyance. He flung himself at Hiashi with the intent to kill. A massive foot smashed into them, flattening Kyuubi and destroying Hiashi's clone. The massive foot belonged to the portly man from the meeting. The Kyuubi lifted the man up with one hand and flung him in the air. He crashed into the village, flattening several buildings, including the Hokage Tower.

The last remaining opposition was the blonde man, also from the meeting. He made quick hand seals and shouted, "Ninpou: Shinranshin no Jutsu (Ninja Art: Mind-Body Disturbance Technique)!!!" Kyuubi stopped moving and his eyes went black. He couldn't control himself and his body burst into black flames. Kyuubi screamed as his body was wracked with unbelievable pain. Despite the flames or his own pain, he gathered his yokai into his throat and screamed, knocking the blond man out and making his ears bleed profusely.

Minato materialized out of thin air, a massive, yellow Rasengan in his hand. "Raiton: Rasengan no Seken (Lightning Style: Spiraling Sphere of the World)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The massive sphere absorbed the Kyuubi's burning body and flung him toward the Hokage Mountains. Minato screamed, "Obito, Kakashi, let's go!!! We have only one shot at this!!!" The two boys leapt from their hiding places and grabbed their sensei. A flash of yellow light appeared and they were gone.

* * *

The yellow orb of energy smashed into one of the mountains and obliterated the top of it. Unfortunately, this was the very mountain the villagers were hiding in! They screamed and ran as the ninja there prepared to protect them. One woman did not run. She had long red hair that flowed to her waist and deep green eyes that could look into the depths of your soul. She had a knockout figure and, if they weren't scared to die, the men in the room would definitely be staring at her. The woman was garbed in a simple white robe and held a pale, blonde baby in her arms. She was Kushina Uzumaki, the wife of Minato Namikaze, the 4th Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato.

Kyuubi dropped to the floor, still and unmoving. His body was burnt horribly beyond recognition and seemed to not be healing like his other wounds had. Slowly, he stood up, screaming from the pain. He staggered toward the woman, his burnt hands pointed toward her.

A yellow flash appeared and Minato, Kakashi, and Obito stood side to side. Minato and Kakashi's eyes were now blue spirals; Obito was sporting a fully completed Sharingan. "Do it now!!!" Minato screamed. Kakashi and Obito began to focus and their chakra became visible. "Fist gate! Kaimon (Gate of Opening)!" Kakashi shouted. The chakra began to flare and increase. "Second gate! Kyumon (Gate of Healing)!" The chakra began whipping about wildly. "THIRD GATE!!! SEIMON (Gate of Life)!!!" they screamed in unison. Their chakra turned yellow and their skin red. The two boys dropped into Taijutsu stances.

Obito attacked first, kneeing Kyuubi in the stomach. He begins punching the Demon Lord several times in his head before uppercutting him into the sky. The boy quickly launches himself over Kyuubi's head and scissor kicks him into the ground. He gathers energy into his right hand, forming a dragon's head around his fist. "Ryuusakeme (Dragon's Tears)!!!!" Obito rapidly punches Kyuubi, each punch causing an explosion bigger than the last. His final punch causes a massive explosion and Kakashi moves in for his turn.

The white-haired boy flips and grabs Kyuubi's hair. He slams the Demon Lord into the wall and rapidly punches him in his burnt chest. Kakashi flips backwards and continues his rapid assault, this time with his feet. He flips forward and wraps his legs around Kyuubi's neck and leaps into the air by thrusting from his hands. Kakashi releases and flips himself up right again, using a helicopter kick to knock Kyuubi away. He focuses his chakra into his arms and legs and screams, "Kagi Ookami Banteki (Wolf's Savage Assault)!!!" Kakashi releases a volley of super powered punches and kicks, all connecting and breaking bones. The final hit is a haymaker that causes Kyuubi to fall into a wall. Both Kakashi and Obito dash to him and grab his arms.

During this brutal attack, Minato had been going through long, complicated, and archaic hand seals. He was going to proudly use the Shiki Fujin (Reaper Death Seal) to seal the fox within himself. He knew the jutsu was a double-edged sword; he would die the instant Kyuubi was sealed away within him. Just before he could complete his jutsu, lavender light flashed and time was frozen.

A man, about the same height as Minato, appeared. He was lean, his skin pale and flawless. He had white hair, red eyes, and a long beard. The man wore a white toga and a brass gold ring. "Minato Namikaze, the Konoha no Kiiroi Senko (Konoha's Yellow Flash), do not complete that jutsu! Killing Kyo-san will completely throw off the balance of the universe!"

Minato would have ignored the elder man's request, if he could move his body. He found that his lips were capable of moving and asked simply, "Why?" The elder man cleared his throat and said, "Because I need Kyo-san's essence to create a new Kyuubi. I cannot explain it all now, but the universe's balance will be thrown off by two men. A man trying to become the ultimate demon, and a lowly snake trying to become a god.

"I will take control of your body and complete a very archaic jutsu that will recreate the Kyuubi no Kitsune. All I need is a human willing to…"

"Willing to what?" Minato inquired, straining to move his body. The elder man sighed and said, "Willing to sacrifice their humanity and become the demon." Minato was quiet for a moment. He slowly said, "Use me then. I'll become the new—"

"You won't do. While you are a good person, you have seen too much evil to combat the dark power of yokai. I need someone pure as a newborn baby." The old man began stroking his beard as he thought of a suitable sacrifice. Minato, in the meantime, had a crazy idea. "I know the perfect vessel."

* * *

Time resumed and Minato continued stringing along his hand seals. Kakashi and Obito noticed the change and the Uchiha shouted, "What are you doing sensei!!!!!!" By then Minato had finished his hand seals and screamed, "Let him go and get behind me! _**TENTOU NO SEKI: AWAI HOWAIDO**_ (Gates of Heaven: White Light)!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Kakashi grabbed Obito and the two boys vanished. A massive white light erupted from the young leader, blinding everyone in the village. The light shone so bright that it could be seen all over the continent. Kyuubi roared and the baby cried. The light shone for a few more moments before it finally died down. The baby was lying in the center of the cave. Minato gave the baby a tired look, noting something about him seemed off before collapsing. The last sound he heard was Kushina's screams, and the last face he saw was hers as he drifted off into the darkness.

* * *

"He's a tough man…chances…slim…99.9%...affairs in order…"

* * *

Minato awoke and found himself in a white room. He was wearing a hospital robe and was lying on a bed. An open window allowed a warm summer breeze to gently caress Minato's skin. 'Summer breeze? I thought it was October?' Minato thought as he forced his tired, pained body to trudge to the window. He saw Konoha in the process of reconstruction. It was only then did the events of the battle replay in his mind. He couldn't figure out how he survived the Shiki Fujin, though.

"Minato, you're awake!" a voice behind him shouted. Minato turned around and was tackled by Kushina. She began kissing him all over his face and said, "Tsunade was convinced you'd be a vegetable for the rest of your life!" Minato smiled and said, "I'm the Yondaime; I'm not going anywhere for a long time." She smiled and a grunt was heard. Team Minato was standing at the door. They had new outfits and had changed greatly since Minato had last seen them.

Rin was now sporting a standard Jonin outfit. Her long red hair has grown longer, and she looked more mature. Her puppy was now quite big too. Kakashi's hair had become longer and he had become taller. He was now wearing an ANBU outfit, as was Obito, had gotten taller and his voice much deeper when he said, "Sensei, just waking up and already getting down to the do huh?" Rin kicked him in his kidneys and yelled, "You damn perv!! That's our sensei!"

'*Sigh* Some things never change,' thought Minato. "How long was I out of it? A couple weeks?" Minato inquired. He saw the hesitant expressions on his team and love's faces. Kakashi finally spoke, his voice very monotonous (that hadn't changed either), "You've been in a coma for two years Tou-san." Minato was purely stupefied at this news; there's no way he could have been so unaware of the change in time.

Before Minato could speak, he felt a small, but distinct energy behind Rin. A young boy poked his head out and slowly but surely walked to Minato. He looked like the Hokage's mini-me, but there were two distinct differences. The first was a set of whiskers on his face like a fox's. The last, and most noticeable, was a pair of fox ears on the top of his head. Kushina beamed proudly at the boy and turned to Minato. "This is Naruto. Our son." Minato couldn't believe the boy's appearance.

_He is the new Kyuubi no Kitsune; despite this, he is still your son and needs all your love and care to get him through the most difficult 18 years of his life. _Minato looked around, wondering who said that to him. His thoughts were interrupted by Naruto leaping into his arms and saying, "Dada!"

* * *

Next Time: Life has moved on and Naruto is graduating from the Ninja Academy! But not if Mizuki has anything to do with it! What kind of nefarious scheme does Konoha's resident sociopath have up his sleeve?


	2. Exposition I

_Deception! The Traitorous Sensei, Mizuki!_

The years have rolled by and Konoha slowly but surely has returned to its former glory. An entire decade has gone by, and despite the change in size, appearance, and population, Konoha still possesses that home sweet home vibe.

Presently, the sun is beginning to raise its sleepy head above Konoha's Hokage Mountains. A small, orange blur darted along the mountains. "Hehehehehe…this'll be the prank of the century!" the blur shouted as he made his way to the face of Hashirama Senju, the Shodaime Hokage. The blur stopped and dropped the several cans of paint he was holding. The blur was actually a boy, albeit a rather odd looking boy. He had wild, spiky blonde hair, and deep blue eyes. He was rather short and scrawny for his age. He wore an orange and blue jumpsuit and a pair of goggles. The most striking thing about the boy was that he had fox whiskers and ears.

"This is a prank worthy of Naruto Namikaze!!" Naruto exclaimed as he dipped his brush into the paint.

* * *

"Hokage-sama!!!" shouted an ANBU agent as he burst into the room. Minato sighed as he looked up from his massive stacks of paperwork. He hadn't been in the office for more than ten minutes and already he was about to hear some bad news.

"Let me guess; Naruto threw another paint bomb in the weapons shop?" Minato inquired. The ANBU shook his head and shouted, "No, he's using paint to deface the Hokage Monument!" Minato sighed and dissipated into a plume of smoke.

* * *

A large number of ninja had gathered on top of the Hokage Tower, screaming at Naruto to cease and desist. Naruto growled; these stuffed shirts couldn't appreciate his hard work. "Shut the hell up you morons! You guys are just jealous you couldn't create some beautiful art like this! I'm the best that ever lived and one day, I'll be in charge!"

Yellow light flashed and Minato appeared on the roof. The shouts and jeers of the ninja stopped; they knew better than to insult Naruto when the Yondaime was nearby. One of the ninja continued to yell at Naruto. "Iruka-san, why isn't Naruto in class? I entrusted him to your care."

"Oh, Hokage-sama! I apologize! He used one his fox illusion to get past me," Iruka replied, standing at attention. "Oh please. I just ran out. You're too slow to catch me Iruka!" Naruto shouted. A large vein popped in Iruka's head and he shouted, "YOU MORON!!!! GET DOWN HERE OR IT'S 10,000 SIT-UPS FOR YOU!!!!!!" Naruto gave Iruka the finger, and suddenly it hit him: his dad was right there next to Iruka!!!!!

Before Naruto could get away, he found himself staring down his father. "So…lovely weather we're having, right dad?

* * *

Naruto sat in his chair at the Ninja Academy. Actually, the proper word should be _tied_ to his chair. Iruka stood before the class and said, "Now class, tomorrow you all will take the graduation exams to become full-fledged Genin." Naruto sucked his teeth and Iruka screamed at the blonde, "You better pass Naruto! You've failed the exam twice! Do you know what kind of shame that must bring upon your family? To be the only dropout ever in the history of the Namikaze clan? If I have any say, you'll pass if it kills you! BAKA!!!!"

Naruto calmly looked Iruka in the eye and said, "Whatever, bottle-nosed [**1**]." Iruka grit his teeth and said, "Since you wanna be a stubborn donkey, everyone can perform one of the Bunshins we learned this year." Naruto paled at this; bunshins were his worst jutsu.

As the students lined up to perform the jutsu, Naruto received some rather well-deserved anger from his peers. "Hey, good job ruining an easy day you idiot!" a brunette boy behind him whispered. "Hey, Kiba, go fuck yourself!" Naruto shot back. "Naruto! Get up here now!" Iruka shouted.

'_Man, this blows,_' Naruto thought as he walked up to the platform. He made the necessary hand seals and shouted, "Bunshin no Jutsu (Clone Technique)!" A massive plume of smoke erupted around him. Iruka was in for a surprise when the smoke cleared.

A buxom, _voluptuous_, naked woman with long blond hair pulled into pig-tails blew Iruka a kiss and said in a low, husky voice, "Hey cutie!" Iruka, and all the other boys in the class, paled and passed out from massive blood loss. Naruto dispelled his henge and laughed at his classmates. The girls shot him dirty looks and the fox demon simply laughed louder. "I call that my Oiroke no Jutsu (Sexy Technique)!" Naruto shouted, pumping his fist into the air.

Iruka recovered quickly and screamed, "YOU'RE A NAMIKAZE!!!! STOP INVENTING DUMB JUTSUS!!!!! FUCKING MORON!!!!" Naruto began laughing so loud tears fell down his face.

* * *

"You're not going anywhere until all this paint is cleaned off kit," Minato said as he watched his son scrub paint off of the Hokage Monument. Naruto muttered something under his breath and Minato had had enough of the boy's delinquency. "Wanna say that again?" he inquired.

Naruto felt something overcome him, something powerful and dark. "_**Yeah, I said it's not like I have anyone waiting for me at home! Ever since mom died, you've been throwing yourself into your work and training! I've practically raised myself for the last seven years!**_" Naruto screamed. "I'm done, _**father**_," he added, throwing the rag at his dad and leaping out into the village.

Minato dropped to his knees and whispered, "Kushina, I failed you again."

* * *

Naruto was wandering the village. He ignored the usual hateful looks he received whenever his father wasn't nearby. He knew the villagers hated him because of what he was. But because he was the son of Minato Namikaze and grandnephew of Jiraiya Namikaze, no one openly messed with him. Naruto bumped into someone as he aimlessly walked.

"Oh, Naruto!" The young boy looked up and saw a kind-faced Iruka looking at him. This day just couldn't get any worse. "Hey Naruto-kun, what's wrong? You look like you lost your best friend?"

"You have to have friends to lose them," Naruto sullenly replied. Iruka winced as the boy kept walking. "Hey, I was on my way to Ichiraku's and I was hoping I could have some company. Wanna come with?" Iruka offered. Naruto's ears twitched at this news. Free Ramen!!!!! Faster than you could say Kage Bushin, Naruto had grabbed Iruka's hand and dragged him to Ichiraku's.

* * *

Naruto happily slurped on his ramen. He had eaten six extra-large bowls of beef ramen and Iruka, hoping to at the very least slow his ravenous hunger, asked, "Naruto, why do you keep defacing the village? And to do that to the Hokage Monument? Those men all served their village in the best way a ninja could ever hope to! They deserve your respect!"

Naruto slowly slurped the last of his ramen. He didn't answer right away as he pondered what Iruka said. "Basically, the Hokage are all men who got where they were because they were the strongest ninja in our village. My dad is the strongest Hokage, am I right?" Naruto half-asked, half-stated. Iruka nodded.

"The reason I did what I did today…is because I will surpass all of them!!! One day, everyone in Konoha will see I'm more than a demon, that I'm more than the Namikaze clan's biggest screw-up!!! I will be the greatest Kage to ever live!!! That's my dream!!!" Naruto shouted as he pumped his fist into the air. A kind-looking older man behind the counter turned to Naruto and shouted, "Oi! Naruto-kun! Shut up!"

"Sorry Teuchi-ojiisan!" Naruto said as he bowed to the older man. Iruka couldn't help but laugh. '_This boy is wild, but I actually think he could do it,_' Iruka thought. Naruto turned to Iruka and clasped his hands together. "Iruka-sensei, can I borrow your forehead protector?" Naruto said. Iruka smirked and said, "Nope. You can't wear one until you graduate Naruto. This is the symbol that you're ready to be considered an adult. You might get one if you pass tomorrow."

"Aww, you suck," Naruto muttered. Iruka's smirk deepened and he said, "Tell you what. If you pass, I'll buy you all the ramen you can eat!" Naruto's eyes began to twinkle and he said, "All the ramen I can eat?" Iruka nodded and Naruto screamed, "All right!!!!"

* * *

"The test is five parts: Written Exam, Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Taijutsu, and Survival Skills. Parts 2 and 4 will be 25 points each; part1 and 3 will be 10 points each; and part 5 will be 30 points. Anything less than a 70 results in failure and you'll have to retake the test in six months. Is that clear?" Iruka shouted. The class responded by saying, "HAI SENSEI!!!" in unison.

Iruka smiled and said, "Now, I'll be the proctor for the first exam. Begin!"

* * *

Naruto was feeling good about his progress so far. He gained 4 points on the written exam (tests weren't really his strong point). After the exam, Iruka revealed that the order of the test would be different for each student.

Naruto then took the Taijutsu exam with some weird Jonin in green spandex. It was a Taijutsu tournament. The higher up you got, the more points you earned. Naruto made it to the semi-final rounds, but was defeated by a weird emo guy, who ended up winning the whole tournament after beating an equal emo pretty boy. Naruto gained 20 points for his efforts.

Next was Survival Skills. His proctor was a familiar face, one of his dad's students, Rin Inuzuka. The group was broken up into groups of two and sent into the forest to search for a white flag to bring back to Rin. The first team to find a flag got the full 30 points. Naruto, unfortunately, was almost last because of his partner, some lazy boy who didn't want to work at all. They both got 15 points for coming in 4th.

Genjutsu was the easiest for Naruto [**2**]. He was a kitsune after all; they were naturals at Genjutsu. His proctor for this exam was some pretty lady with red eyes. Naruto breezed through and actually did the best out of all the students and was awarded a full 10 points, bringing his total to 49.

The final exam was Ninjutsu, and Naruto dreaded this part. He was confident that as long as they didn't ask for a Bunshin Jutsu he would be ok. That is, until he found out who his proctor was. "For this part of the exam, Mizuki Touji will be your proctor," Iruka announced to the kids.

Naruto paled when he heard this news. Mizuki hated Naruto and that was evident to all the students and staff. He constantly picked on Naruto and embarrassed him in front of everyone. The blue-haired Chuunin walked to the front of the class and said, "For this exam, I will take you all one by one into another room and ask you to perform one of the jutsus you've learned this year. If you could all line up in alphabetical order by last name, I can get started." Mizuki's fake, sickeningly sweet tone made Naruto gagged. The older man looked at Naruto and thought, '_I have something special planned for you, bastard!_'

* * *

"Namikaze, Naruto, it's your turn," Mizuki said. A girl walked out of the room, sporting her brand new head band. Naruto gulped and prayed to Izanagi that Mizuki wouldn't require him to perform a Bunshin.

Mizuki sat at the desk and said, "Now, I want to perform one of the Bunshin's you learned in Iruka-san's class."

'Fucking hell!' Naruto thought. He wasn't able to make a tangible bunshin so he figured he'd make a Gen'ei Bunshin (Illusion Clone) since that was essentially a Genjutsu. Naruto made the required hand seals and began molding his chakra. Mizuki clasped his hands together as he watched chakra swirl around Naruto. What Naruto didn't realize was that the Chuunin had made a hand seal and was molding his chakra, albeit not as visibly as Naruto.

'_Chakra Intaraputo no Jutsu _(Chakra Interruption Technique)_,_' Mizuki thought. Suddenly, Naruto's chakra was thrown off slightly. The boy formed the jutsu and looked to his right to see his work. Naruto's jaw damn near dropped to the floor when he saw his clone. The head was the only visible part, and that was fading away as I type. Mizuki laughed and said in his faux-sweet voice, "I'll award you one point for effort. Hope you did well everywhere else!" Naruto hung his head as he trudged out of the room; he failed the exam for the third time.

* * *

Naruto sat in a high tree as he watched the other kids sporting their new head bands. Everyone passed except for him, even the lazy kid he was partnered with in the Survival Skills Exam. Naruto was crying softly as he watched all the kids celebrating with their parents. Worst of all, his dad hadn't even showed up to comfort him like he did last year and the year before. Naruto wiped his tears and felt a dark force overcome him. '**Leave this place kit. Go and become strong, and return. Make these mortals bow before your might! Make them sorry they crossed you! Especially Minato Namikaze! Kill them all [**_**3**_**]!'** a voice whispered to Naruto. His blue eyes turned red and he leapt from the tree and began running through the village.

* * *

Minato burst through the Academy Gates in a flash of yellow light. He was held up by mission reports and as a result, was late to see if Naruto had passed. After Naruto's outburst, Minato determined to be more devoted to his son. Minato looked throughout the throng of kids but couldn't find his son. He spot Iruka and strode over to him.

"Iruka-san!" Minato shouted. The dark-haired Chuunin saluted to the Yondaime. "Hai, Minato-sensei [**4**]?" Iruka asked. "D-did Naruto pass the exam?" Iruka sighed and said, "No, sensei. Naruto scored a fifty. He failed, again sir."

* * *

Mizuki sat on a roof overlooking the Namikaze Estate. He made hand seals and a multi-colored image appeared before him. The image transformed into that of a man and began speaking.

_Your mission is simple Mizuki. The Kyuubi is en route to my location; all you have to do is make sure it gets to my location. Understood?_

"Hai, Leader-sama. I won't let you down again," Mizuki replied. _Two last things Mizuki. First, if you should fail this mission, seppuku is your best bet. I _WILL_ find you and make your death as painful as possible. Second, that tone in your voice…makes me trust you less and less. I might just kill you when you reach me if it doesn't change._ The image faded away and Mizuki grit his teeth.

"I'll show him! Such a trivial mission is beyond the sole survivor of the Touji clan!" Mizuki growled, finally revealing his real voice. At that exact moment, Naruto came barreling toward the Estate. He smashed through the door and kept running, smashing through walls until he had burst through the back of the estate and through the village walls.

Mizuki ran through the new pathway and ended up in the room closest to the village walls. It was full of jutsu scrolls from the Namikaze clan. '_Hmm…I wonder how much these scrolls would go for in Ame's black market?_' Mizuki thought. He saw a scroll sitting on the highest shelf toward his left. It held the Yondaime's seal. Mizuki grabbed the scroll and opened it, breaking the seal. He read it briefly and smiled widely. '_Pay dirt!_' he thought. Mizuki pocketed the scroll and sped after Naruto, hoping he could catch up to the boy before he got too far.

* * *

Iruka laid in his bed that night, reflecting on his conversation with his sensei. He was tempted to go and find Naruto and retest him; he knew Naruto deserved to pass. As Iruka lay in bed, he began to think back to that day. The day his life was changed forever.

FLASHBACK

_Another blast hit a nearby building, and Iruka gulped. The nine-year-old boy was hiding in some rubble. He wanted to see the ninja fighting in action, but most importantly, he wanted to see his parents fight. Suddenly, a massive ball of fire was heading toward the ninja near him! He leapt out of the rubble and narrowly avoided being flambéed by the ball. If only the ninja near him had been so lucky._

_A white-eyed ninja grabbed him and began running. "Wait!! My parents are still fighting! I can't leave them!" he shouted as the ninja picked up speed. The Kyuubi saw them and was chasing after them. In an instant, the ninja was struck down and the Kyuubi stared down the scared boy. The demon lord took his large, clawed hands and swung horizontally at Iruka. The boy scrambled and moved but it was nearly too late. The demon lord scratched Iruka's face._

_Two ninja appeared before the boy. "Mom! Dad!" Iruka shouted in pain, clutching his bleeding face. The man turned to Iruka and shouted, "RUN IRUKA!!!! WE'LL HOLD HIM OFF!!!! GO!!!!" They charged the Kyuubi and Iruka heeded his father's advice. He turned around one last time and saw…_

END FLASHBACK

"Iruka!!! Mizuki invaded the Namikaze Estate and stole the Hiraishin Scroll!" an ANBU shouted at Iruka through the open window. The Chuunin gasped and grabbed his flak jacket. When he returned to the window, the ANBU had worse news. "He has Naruto!"

* * *

Naruto was running deeper and deeper into the woods. His thoughts were hazy but he was pretty sure he was going west. Despite his fatigue, his body wouldn't stop moving. Until a man knocked him over. It was Iruka! The Chuunin pinned Naruto's body to the ground.

"I found you, Naruto! Everyone's worried sick about you!" Iruka said. Iruka suddenly grabbed Naruto and rolled out of the way. A hail of kunai knives rained down on that exact spot. Iruka was struck several times by the knives and rolled off of Naruto. The boy saw blood dripping from his sensei's back.

"Good job finding the moron, Iruka!" Mizuki said. He appeared a little ways off from them in a swirl of leaves. Three Fuuma Shuriken were attached to his back and Iruka saw the scroll sticking out of Mizuki's jacket pocket. Naruto finally managed to regain control of his body and his eyes returned to their usual blue color.

"HUH!!! WHA!!! What's going on?! Where am I?" Naruto shouted. He looked over to a wounded, bleeding Iruka. "Naruto! Whatever you do, don't let Mizuki escape with that scroll! It's your father's legacy!" he shouted to the boy. "That scroll holds your father's famed Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique) and if Mizuki escapes with it, anyone could learn its secrets!"

"BE QUIET IRUKA!" Mizuki roared. He flung two of his massive shurikens. One was headed toward Iruka; the other was headed toward Naruto. Iruka leapt off the ground and was pierced by the first shuriken an inch away from his heart. He leapt in the way of the second shuriken, which pierced and pinned him to the ground.

Naruto was shocked that Iruka protected him. "W-w-w-why?" Naruto asked, choking back his tears as he watched blood pour from his wounds. "My…my parents…were killed by you…or rather…what was once you….When they died…no one acknowledged me…so I acted…like a damned idiot…. As long as I was acknowledged…, good or bad…, I didn't care…. But… I was…hurting deep inside…. Naruto…, you've been…hurting too…. And I want to…show you that…people really do love you!!!" A third shuriken lodged itself in Iruka's back.

"ARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IRUKA-SENSEI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" roared Naruto. Yellow energy swirled around the demon. Naruto extended his hand and the energy around his had formed a claw. The new energy appendage thrust forward, stretching and stretching until it reached Mizuki and pierced his chest. Naruto grasped his heart and screamed, "_**YOU LIKE HURTING PEOPLE?!?!?!?! LET'S SEE WHAT ALL THE FUSS IS ABOUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**_"

Before Naruto could rip his heart out, Minato appeared before Naruto. He placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder and said, "You don't have to fight anymore son. Daddy's here." That was all the reassurance Naruto needed. His yellow energy cloak faded and the demon collapsed next to Iruka. Minato charged up a Rasengan and walked over to the bleeding Mizuki. "Looks like you fail Touji," Minato joked before thrusting his palm into the younger man's face.

* * *

Naruto awoke in the hospital the next morning. The previous night's events rushed to the forefront of Naruto's mind. "Heh…good thing today's Saturday right Naruto? Otherwise, you'd have to go to school."

The young boy turned to see a bandaged up Iruka lying down next to him. Naruto turned to his other side and saw his father sleeping in the chair next to his bed. "He stayed with you all night, ya know," Iruka said, reading Naruto's mind. "I know how we can wake him up." Iruka whispered something to Naruto and he just couldn't resist.

A few minutes later, Naruto stood in the middle of the room. "You ready squirt?" Naruto nodded and made some hand seals. "Seishou Bunshin no Jutsu (Energy Clone Jutsu)[**5**]!" Blue energy swirled around next to Naruto and began to take his form. The clone was a pure chakra version of Naruto. "Alright wake dad up!" Naruto shouted. The clone obeyed and charged at Minato.

"ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Minato screamed in pain.

* * *

Minato, having recovered from the shock of the Seishou Bunshin, cleared his throat to gain Naruto's attention. "Naruto, I have something for you. I need you to close your eyes," Minato said.

"Ok dad," Naruto said hesitantly. He closed his eyes as he waited for his dad to give him his gift. "Open your eyes Naruto." In the boy's lap was a head band similar to Iruka's head band. "You've graduated Naruto. I'm proud of you," Minato said, with a tear coming down his eye. Naruto was shocked. He really graduated!

* * *

Night had finally fallen and Minato stood atop the Namikaze Estate. A man appeared behind him and said, "Let me see you hand." Minato walked over to the shadows that were concealing the large man's appearance and unwrapped his bandages. A badly burned hand was held up in the moonlight. "Hmmm…it seems it has begun. Naruto-kun is unlocking the powers of the Kyuubi. These burns are yokai burns," the man stated.

Minato winced; he knew this day would come, but not so soon. "How long do we have before he unlocks all of Kyo-sama's powers?"

"Depends. If he decides to not become a ninja, it'll take approximately nine years to fully manifest," the man replied. "It's a little late for that; he's a Genin now," Minato quipped.

"That's where the "depends" comes in. Danger accelerates the deterioration of the yokai seal. Depending on how much danger is around him, he could fully manifest his powers in four years," the man replied.

"There's no stopping him; he wants to become the Godaime." The large man sighed and said, "Then there's nothing we can do but keep him away from _them_."

"Yeah…Otooji-san."

_

* * *

Hmmm…Mizuki failed, as was expected. That was the cheapest way to cut an expendable loss. Oh well. At least I know my jutsu is still in effect. It seems to have less effect the further away I am. I'll be back for you Naruto. Believe it!_

* * *

Next Time: Yeah! My buddy Konohamaru is back in the village! It's time for some new pranks! After all, I don't officially become a Genin 'til Monday!

The Rokudaime Hokage! Introducing Konohamaru Sarutobi!

* * *

1- Naruto's affectionate nickname for Iruka is a play on his full name, Umino Iruka, which means sea dolphin. Bottle-nose is a type of dolphin.

2- Kitsune are masters of Genjutsu, so it seemed like common sense to make Naruto a Genjutsu master.

3- This is a precursor to one of the many moral decisions Naruto will have to make in the story. Power often clouds judgment, and you'll get to see how his choices affect the story

4- Iruka called Minato "sensei," an obvious sign that Minato taught Iruka. Minato's history will be explored later on.

5- Seishou Bunshun no Jutsu (Energy Clone Technique): The user molds his energy and forms a tangible clone of himself. The clone is made of pure, kinetic chakra. Touching the clone results in an electrical shock.


	3. Exposition II

A/N: I forgot to explain the two other original jutsu that I created.

Gen'ei Bunshin no Jutsu (_Illusion Clone Technique_): A jutsu that creates a clone of the user. The clone is usually intangible, but experienced ninja can make them tangible. Striking the clone results in the user being caught in a small Genjutsu.

Chakra Intaraputo no Jutsu (_Chakra Interruption Technique)_: A jutsu that causes the user to forcefully send some of his own chakra to a target to disrupt the target's chakra flow. The disruption is small, but can screw up any technique because of its unavoidable nature.

_

* * *

_

_The Rokudaime Hokage! Introducing Konohamaru Sarutobi!_

"Hey, are you sure you want your picture like this?" a gruff-sounding elderly man asked Naruto. "Yeah, yeah!! C'mon and take the picture already!" the impatient demon shouted. The old man grumbled something about demons and impatience before taking the picture. "Don't tell me you hate it 'cause I ain't doin' it again," he said before kicking Naruto out of the classroom.

The picture for Naruto's ninja registration card showed him with primitive war paint all over his face. He was making a "scary" face and held his hand out toward the camera. "Oh yeah! This picture is so…"

* * *

"…stupid, kit," Minato said as he looked at Naruto's card. "Oh, come on Dad! I spent the whole weekend thinking of what face I would make for the picture and I finally decided on this one. You gotta admit, it's really artistic!" Naruto said.

Minato sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He could feel a migraine coming on. Before Naruto could walk and talk, the only other person who could give him brain aneurysm-esque headaches was Kushina Uzumaki, his late wife. '_A curse passed on from Kushina-chan,_' Minato thought as he smiled despite Naruto's ramblings.

"Retake the picture, kit. This picture also goes in the ninja registry and you don't even have on your headband," Minato said. The door suddenly burst open and a small boy charged in. He had short, spiky brown hair and wore a yellow shirt, grey pants, and a long blue scarf around his neck. He held two shuriken in his hands and leapt into the air. "Fight me Minato-san!" the boy shouted, and flung them at the Yondaime. Minato sighed again.

'_Scratch that. Konohamaru can do that too,_' Minato thought as he grasped the shuriken. The boy, Konohamaru, began doing elegant spins in the air as he descended to the ground. His scarf got caught underneath his feet and the boy slipped and fell on his face. A man came charging in the room behind Konohamaru. He wore an all black outfit and a black scarf wrapped around his head and black shades on his face.

"Namikaze-sama, I apologize for the intrusion. Konohamaru is just excited that he might be trained by you soon," the man said bowing deeply in front of Minato. "That hasn't been determined yet Ebisu. I haven't trained a Genin since Umino Iruka. Konohamaru has to graduate from the Academy first," Minato replied.

'_I need to do something fast!_' Minato thought as the pain in his head was getting worse and worse. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in his head. "Hey Naruto, Ebisu! I've got missions for you two!" Minato shouted. Naruto and Ebisu both perked their heads up at this. '_A chance to show what I'm made of!_' they both thought.

"Ebisu, I need you to go deliver this message to a friend of mine named Mayakashi. He lives in the Western Border Town," Minato said. He pulled out a piece of paper and began scribbling a note on it. "Don't read the note and watch out, there may be ninja looking for him," Minato said. Ebisu was damned near ready to cry. He was finally getting a real mission, instead of babysitting this spoiled Sarutobi brat. "I'LL MAKE YOU PROUD NAMIKAZE-SAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ebisu shouted as he ran out of the room.

"Now for you Naruto, you'll be training Konohamaru until Ebisu comes back from his mission. Understood?" Minato said. Naruto paled; he's known Konohamaru for a long time, hell they're even friends, but he can only take but so much of the boy. Bu he was getting an opportunity to do a mission before being assigned a squad! "I'll do it dad! C'mon Konohamaru! I'm gonna teach you some super cool jutsu!" Naruto shouted as he grabbed the younger boy's hand and sped out of the room.

The ninja sitting next to Minato cleared his throat and said, "I didn't know you knew any one named Mayakashi." Minato smirked and replied, "I don't." [**1**]His headache was gone.

* * *

"Ok Konohamaru! First things first! I'm gonna teach you some support Ninjutsu, ok?" Naruto shouted. "Ok boss!" the eager lad replied. Naruto made a hand seal and began gathering up his chakra. "Oiroike no Jutsu (_Sexy Technique_)!" Naruto shouted. He transformed into the same naked woman that disabled Iruka. Konohamaru sat in front of his new sensei with his eyes closed. Finally he said, "That jutsu sucks boss."

Naruto sighed and released the jutsu. "Oh, I know!" He said and began making new hand seals. "Koinu Manako no Jutsu (_Puppy Dog Eyes Technique_)!" Naruto suddenly became irresistibly cute; his bottom lip poked out and his eyes became large and almost shimmered. Konohamaru sighed and said, "This one sucks too!"

Naruto turned red and screamed, "Ok, you want to see some real jutsu, get ready!"

* * *

Konohamaru lay exhausted on the floor. He learned four new jutsus today and was extremely proud of himself. Naruto walked over to him with two bowls of instant ramen in his hands. "Hope you like beef!" he shouted. Within a few minutes, the instant ramen was ready and the two boys were slurping away at their noodles.

"Hey, Konohamaru, can I ask you something?" Naruto asked as the younger boy noisily slurped on his noodles. He nodded and continued to eat his food. "Why do you always attack my dad? What's he ever done to you?" Konohamaru swallowed the last of his ramen and looked out into the forest.

"My father, Konohajin Sarutobi [**2**], named me after the village, like my grandpa did for him. Even though everyone in the village knows that, they don't really seem to know. They never call me Konohamaru; they just say 'He's the Sandaime's grandson.' No one ever sees me as me and I'm sick of it! That's why I keep challenging your dad; to prove I'm capable enough to be the Godaime and finally be recognized as someone other than Hiruzen Sarutobi's grandson!" shouted Konohamaru. Naruto sat, listening with his eyes closed. He finally responded after a long silence.

"Baka, you don't deserve to be the Hokage," Naruto replied. "WHAT?!" Konohamaru shouted as he leapt up from the log he was sitting on. "The title of Hokage isn't something an immature kid like you could take. In order to take the title of Hokage," Naruto said as he stood up. He held out his hands in a Taijutsu stance and finished, "You have to beat me first!" Konohamaru stared at Naruto before leaping away and getting into his own stance.

The very air sat still as the two boys stared each other down. The wind blew by and a leaf fell between them. They leapt from their spots and made hand seals. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (_Shadow Clone Technique_)!" Konohamaru shouted. "Kemuri Bunshin no Jutsu (_Smoke Clone Jutsu_)[**3**]!" Naruto shouted. The two threw down smoke bombs to mask their movements.

Three Narutos and two Konohamarus ran out from the smoke and charged each other. Naruto struck first, punching Konohamaru in the gut, then slaming his right leg into his temple. "Konohamaru" exploded into a plume of smoke. The real Konohamaru flung a kunai at the Naruto that dispelled his clone and hit him in the neck. He then scissor kicked another Naruto into the ground. Both of them exploded into a cloud of thick, black smoke. The cloud swarmed around Konohamaru, choking him and clouding his vision. The younger boy was suddenly lifted from the air and slammed into a tree. He felt the cold metal of a kunai placed on his neck. "Yield, Konohamaru!" Naruto shouted.

* * *

"Sekkou no Jutsu (Spy Technique)[**4**]!" Minato shouted. The pool of water in front of him began to show him Naruto and Konohamaru training. "Hmmm…they've been at for a whole week and Konohamaru's learned more with Naruto then he has the whole year that Ebisu has been training him. It's too bad Naruto's not a Jonin. He could do well as his Jonin Master."

* * *

"Konohamaru, I understand your pain," Naruto said as the two boys lay on the forest ground, staring at the night sky. "You do?" the younger boy asked. "Yeah, everyone treats me horribly because of what I am. But if I become Hokage, they'll acknowledge that I'm not just a demon; they'll see that I am good," Naruto said.

Konohamaru smiled at Naruto and said, "So, it's settled then?" Naruto shot the boy a confused look and said, "What the hell are you talking about?" Konohamaru's smiled even wider and said, "You'll be the Godaime, and I'll be the Rokudaime! Ok?"

"Ok!" Naruto shouted as he and Konohamaru bumped fists.

* * *

Minato smiled and said to himself, "Naruto has the makings of a great Shinobi. He might even surpass me one day." The ninja that was with Minato earlier entered the room and bowed in front of Minato. "Stand up, Shikan [**5**]. What do you need, friend?" Minato inquired as Shikan propped himself upright.

"I'm sorry to intrude Minato-sama, but Ebisu has been gone for eight days now. Should we send out some Hunter-nin to look for him?" Shikan asked. The blonde Hokage mentally cursed and waved his hand over the pool of water.

* * *

Ebisu sat in a bar in Western Border Town, drowning himself in cheap sake. He had been here a week and talked to everyone he could, but no one knew who this Mayakashi person was. It was like he never even existed!

"Hey buddy, that's your tenth bottle. I'm going to have to cut you off," the gruff looking bartender said to the drunken tutor. "I AM EBISU KYOUYU,THE BEST NINJA TO EVER GRACE HI NO KUNI!!!!! EVEN IF THAT BASTARD MINATO NAMIKAZE DOESN'T RECOGNIZE ME AS HIS SUPERIOR!!!!" Ebisu screamed at the bartender. Then, the ninja began sobbing uncontrollably.

"WHY DOESN'T ANYONE RESPECT ME?!?!?!?!?!?!?!" Ebisu screamed between sobs as he held onto the bartender's shirt. The man tried to pry the drunken tutor off of him. "Someone get me security!" the bartender shouted.

* * *

Minato groaned as he watched Ebisu make a fool of himself. He needed to end this charade and quick. "Hey Shikan, want a mission?" Minato asked with a devilish smirk.

* * *

A/N: I know this one is short but I just wanted to introduce one of my favorite characters (Konohamaru!!!). I'll try to make the next chapter longer.

Next Time: _Oh no! It's him! He's on my squad?! Grrrr…I hate that emo bastard!_

_The Ultimate Rival! Uchiha Sasuke!_

* * *

1- Mayakashi means "make-believe." Minato made up Mayakashi to get Ebisu out of his hair.

2- Character Bio (_Konohajin Sarutobi_): Konohajin Sarutobi is the oldest son of Hiruzen Sarutobi. He was the perfect son: he became a Jonin before he became a teenager, participated in many important missions during the War, and was a potential candidate for the position of the Yondaime. Unfortunately, he was killed during Orochimaru's defection. He is survived by his son Konohamaru. His name is the same as the village with –jin (the suffix for man) at the end.

3- Kemuri Bunshin no Jutsu (_Smoke Clone Technique_): The user creates a tangible clone made of smog. The clones are purposely made weak because the real threat lies in the clone's composition. Once the clones are dispelled, a thick cloud of smoke appears and chases the opponent down and chokes them to death.

4- Sekkou no Jutsu (_Spy Technique_): The user must first create a seal and place it upon the person they wish to spy on. Then, the user can view that person so long as they have a reflective surface to look at. All Konoha-nin carry the seal with them. This is one of the many jutsu Minato created.

5- New Character Bio (_Shikan_): A Tokubetsu Jonin who works in the Hokage Tower. He is a trusted employee of Minato's and serves as his secretary of sorts. Shikan means officer.


	4. Exposition III

P5yCH0- I did that on purpose. It was my way of showing that Minato both recognized what Naruto is and accepting him for it.

Ferousha the Panda Chick- I realized the same thing when I read it over the next morning. The last few chapters were written real late at night and instead of reading it over, I just posted them to get sleep. I'll be better about proofreading and what not. :)

_

* * *

The Ultimate Rival! Uchiha Sasuke!_

The sun peeked its sleepy head over the Hokage Monument, alerting the village that a new day was here. Inside the Namikaze Estates, Naruto was awoken by the most delicious thing he ever smelled in his life. Naruto crept down the stairs and was greeted by the sight of his father cooking ramen. "Hungry kit?" Minato asked with a smile. Naruto's own smile widened greatly and he shouted, "OH YEAH!!!!"

The two sat down and devoured all the ramen Minato had made. They talked about their plans for the day and made jokes about everything under the sun. For the first time in seven years, Naruto felt like he and his father were reconnecting.

"Naruto-kun, go get dressed. Today's the day you learn who you'll be teamed up with. You should try to be on time…for once," Minato said as he sipped his green tea. Naruto shouted, "Hai!" with enthusiasm. He ran up the stairs to get dressed.

"You three can come out now," Minato said, still sipping his green tea. Three ANBU-nin appeared in front of the blonde Hokage. "Ookami, Doragon, and Inu, I have some good news and bad news. The good news is that you will be training nine Shinobi who have the potential to surpass the Hokages.

"The bad news is that you have to be demoted and resume your lives as if you never joined my secret army. The story is that you were performing a very important S-Rank mission that's kept you out of the village for five years. Shikan has already updated that information into the mission log so Danzou can't refute it.

* * *

"Is this understood?" Minato said to the kneeling ANBU. "Hai Yondaime-sama," they quietly replied. They vanished in plumes of smoke and Minato finished the last of his tea.

Naruto sat at his desk in amazement. This would be the first time he wasn't tied to it and the last time he would see it. '_I gotta leave my mark!_' thought Naruto. He pulled out a kunai and scratched a crude image of a fox onto the desk. He looked up to see a boy standing over him. He had short, brown hair, light brown eyes and a handsome face. He wore a grayish-brown sleeveless shirt and baggy black sweat pants. His head band was tied around his left bicep.

"Hey Naruto! I thought you failed the exam!" the boy shouted. Naruto smiled and said, "I got to retake it, Kiokure [**1**]."

"Oh, that's awesome! I was hoping we could be on a squad together. You're pretty good at this ninja thing and I need someone I can trust to have my back," the brunette exclaimed. Naruto smiled at the blonde and they bumped fists. Suddenly, a boy in front of Naruto turned around. He had blonde, spiky hair like Naruto (except platinum blonde). His green eyes shimmered like emeralds and his teeth were perfectly white. He wore a purple karate gi and a white cape.

"So, you're Namikaze Naruto? Hmmm…. You look really weak. No wonder Uchiha Sasuke managed to kick your ass in the Exam," the blond said. Naruto grit his teeth and looked at the pretty boy. "At least I don't look like a gay pop star [**2**]," Naruto replied. He was suddenly lifted up from his seat and slammed into a wall. Kiokure timidly walked over to the other blonde, who hadn't moved from his seat, and said, "Satsu [**3**] let him go!"

Satsu released the telekinetic hold he had on Naruto and the boy dropped to the ground. "Don't ever insult me like that again. Next time, I'll rip your heart out," Satsu said to Naruto. He walked away from a shaking Kiokure and sat on the far side of the room.

"H-h-hey N-n-n-naruto, are you alright?" Kiokure stuttered. He helped Naruto stand up and led him to his desk. "Hiiii Naruto!!" Kiokure and Naruto winced and turned to the source of the shrill voice. A tall, skinny girl with long pink hair and green eyes was smiling at Naruto widely. She wore a long red dress with tan shorts underneath.

"Sakura! Hey!" Naruto exclaimed. But his mind was portraying a different emotion. '_Crap! This stalker is back!_' Naruto mentally screamed. "I haven't been able to spend any time with you in a long time Naruto-kun! I feel like your avoiding me!" Sakura replied in her shrill voice. "Oh no, I'd never do that to you," Naruto sarcastically said. Kiokure tried to stifle his giggles and Sakura turned to him and began screaming at him.

A boy bumped past Sakura and sat down two seats next to Naruto. He had shoulder length, spiky, raven-colored hair. He wore a blue high collared shirt and white shorts. Sakura immediately began swooning over him and nearly leapt over Naruto to sit in the seat next to the boy. "Hiiiii Sasuke!!!" Sakura squealed.

"Sakura…shut the fuck up," Sasuke replied. Sakura ignored him and kept chatting incessantly. Sasuke lost it and slammed his fist into his desk, catching everyone's attention (except Satsu and the lazy boy Naruto paired up with for the Survival Skills Exam). "Shut…up!" Sasuke shouted, anger blazing in his eyes. Sakura finally shut up and sat quietly with fear in her eyes.

"Naruto, I heard you failed the exam. Why are you here?" Sasuke asked, his voice suddenly monotonous again. Naruto proudly responded, "I got to retake the Exam because Mizuki failed me on purpose."

Sasuke smirked at Naruto and said, "Please, you probably only retook the exam because you're a Namikaze." Anger coursed through Naruto's veins; this emo bitch just insulted his ability to be a ninja! "**Shut your mouth Sasuke! I'll kick your ass all over this room!**" Naruto shouted with a demonic voice.

"Need I remind you who kicked your ass in the Taijutsu Exam?" Sasuke replied, his smirk widening. "Hey, Sasuke, don't forget who kicked your ass and became Student of the Year," Satsu replied. Sasuke grit his teeth and glared at the purple clad boy. "Whatever," was all Sasuke said before closing his eyes.

Iruka walked in and the Genin all sat down and became quiet. He was pretty bandaged up from his fight with Mizuki, but he still seemed really jovial. "Today, you are all Genin. This will only be the beginning of the long journey ahead of you. I expect all of you to attain the rank of Jonin soon. Today, you'll be placed in three man squads and given Jonin senseis. You will have to obey their every instruction," Iruka said.

'_Pfft, that's just two more people in my way,_' Sasuke and Satsu thought. '_Oooh, to be on the same team with Sasuke's good looks and Naruto's name…I can make one of them fall in love with me!_' Sakura thought. '_As long as I have anyone other than Sasuke or Satsu,_' thought Naruto and Kiokure.

"The teams were picked by the Yondaime himself," Iruka added. Everyone began murmuring about how cool that was. Iruka began calling out all the new teams. "Team 6 will be Toppyoushimonai Satsu, Ichiban Nai [4], and Masurao Kiokure; your Jonin sensei will be Sarutobi Asuma," Iruka said.

Kiokure nearly pissed his pants when Iruka said his name. '_Great, now I'm paired up with that psychopath,_' the timid boy thought. "Team 7 will be Hyuuga Hinata, Namikaze Naruto, and Uchiha Sasuke; your Jonin sensei will be Hatake Kakashi."

Naruto raised his hand and shouted, "But sensei! Why do I have to be paired the queen of emos?" He pointed to Sasuke when he said that. "Naruto, you got the lowest score and Sasuke got the second highest. The Yondaime thought he could make a balanced team with you two," Iruka replied.

Naruto sat down and pouted. He looked over at the girl on his team, Hinata. She had medium length blue hair, pale skin, and white eyes. She wore a beige coat and black pants. He remembered her as Hyuuga Hiashi's daughter. '_She's kind of cute,_' Naruto thought. "Hey dude, are you ok? You're red," Kiokure whispered to Naruto.

"Uh, I'm fine!" Naruto shouted. "Team 8 will be Aburame Shino, Haruno Sakura, and Kiba Inuzuka; your Jonin sensei is Inuzuka Rin," Iruka said. Sakura scanned the room to look for her teammates. She found Kiba easily; he had messy brown hair and eyes. He wore a grey coat and dark grey pants. A small white dog was sleeping on his desk.

Shino sat directly in front of her. He had short brown hair and his eyes were covered by black shades. He wore a grey lab coat and brown pants. '_Great, so I get the Human Mutt and Bug Boy instead of Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun,_' Sakura thought.

"And Team 10 will be Akimichi Choji, Nara Shikamaru, and Yamanaka Ino; your Jonin sensei will be Uchiha Obito," Iruka replied. Everyone gasped in shock; Team 10 had an Uchiha to be their sensei!

Naruto looked at Team 10. He knew them all personally on some level. Choji was a plump boy with uncontrollably wild brown hair and beady black eyes. He wore a green jacket, white scarf, yellow shirt, and grey pants. Choji was one of the few friends Naruto had made in school other than Kiokure and Shikamaru.

Shikamaru had black hair that looked like a pineapple. He wore a grey jacket and fishnet shirt with black pants. Naruto and Shikamaru were paired together in the Survival Skills Exam.

Ino was a pretty girl with blonde hair and green eyes. She wore a purple shirt skirt. Naruto received his first kiss from her and he still had a bit of a crush on her.[5]

"Ok, your senseis will be here in one hour. Plenty of time for you all to get acquainted with your new teammates," Iruka said. Naruto slowly raised his hand. "Yes Naruto?" asked Iruka.

"What does acquainted mean?"

* * *

Naruto flipped into the open window of the Hokage's office. His father was sitting at the desk with a large plate of fried dumplings. Across from his father was an old man. He had grey hair, a grey beard, and tan skin. He wore an all-black ninja outfit and a samurai's helmet and breastplate. "Ojiisan!" Naruto shouted. Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage, was a surrogate grandfather to Naruto. He would take Naruto on trips all over the world when he was young and Naruto loved him like a real grandfather.

"Ah, Naruto-kun, congratulations on passing your exams. I had hoped to be back in the village in time to give you a congratulatory gift," Hiruzen said. Naruto's eyes widened and he began hopping up in down.

"Whachagetmewhachagetmewhatchagetme!!!" Naruto shouted like a six-year-old who ingested all the sugar in the Domino refinery. Hiruzen chuckled and pulled a scroll out of his breastplate. He opened the scroll and bit his thumb and began making hand seals. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu (_Summoning Technique_)!" Hiruzen shouted.

A sword materialized in front of Hiruzen. The aging Sandaime pulled the blade out of its yellow sheath. The blade was black like the night; its hilt was yellow and encrusted with beautiful rubies. "This, Naruto, is the Ierokitsune [6]. This blade was wielded by Okami Kyo [7], the first ruler of our land. Use it wisely, Naruto-kun," Hiruzen said.

The older man passed the blade to Naruto, who stared at it with reverence and awe. He was receiving the weapon that made the first Okami of the Land of Fire a feared ninja for nearly 100 years. Naruto bowed and said, "Thank you Ojiisan. I promise I'll be the best ninja ever!"

Naruto grabbed some dumplings and his blade and leapt out the window. Minato smiled at him and said, "I see your mission was a success, Sarutobi-sama."

"You told me only someone with Kage-level strength could penetrate the Mannaka no Seki (_The Gate of the Middle_) [8]. I had a hard time making it through and back. Tell me again why Jiraiya couldn't do this?" Hiruzen asked. The older man pulled out his pipe and began smoking.

"Jiraiya has been searching for whatever intelligence he can find about the other eight. So far it's a bust; the other Kages have done a great job concealing their existence," Minato said as he popped a dumpling in his mouth.

Hiruzen began blowing smoke rings and said, "Jiraiya is the best spy in the village. He'll find a way to get their locations. Your uncle was my best student after all." The two reached for the last dumpling and glared at each other. "You're goin' down Gramps!" Minato shouted.

"Bring it on infant!"

* * *

"So, since we'll be together for at least a year, I figured we should get to know each other. Anyone wants to go first?" Kakashi inquired. His squad stared blankly at him. Kakashi sighed and said, "Guess I'm going first.

"My name is Hatake Kakashi. I like things; I dislike things; my hobbies are…collecting books; my dream is the acquisition of something." Naruto began snickering at what his "big brother" had said. "You didn't tell us anything about you; how do we know you're not some creepy pedophile?" Sasuke asked.

'_He really is a spoiled brat; I thought Obito was lying all this time!_' Kakashi thought. "I can tell you a little bit about Kakashi! He likes porn and cheap hookers; he dislikes religious fanatics who demonize masturbation and hot nuns because they're teases; he likes collecting Icha Icha books; and his dream is to marry Ri—" Naruto was cut off by a kunai, which lodged itself on the ground less than an inch away from his "lil' buddy."

Hinata began casting evil glares at Kakashi and Sasuke showed no emotion toward the white-haired Jonin. Naruto had paled and was shaking in his proverbial boots. "Well, uh, um, uh who's next?" Kakashi stammered out.

"I'll go first," Sasuke said. He cleared his throat and said, "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I like training and the color blue; I dislike failure (cue dirty look at Naruto); my hobby is training; my dream…is to kill a certain man."

'_Looks like Obito was right about this too; he is an avenger,_' Kakashi thought. Hinata raised her hand and asked, "May I go next, Kakashi-sensei?" [9] Kakashi nodded at her and she began. "My name is Hyuuga Hinata. I like seafood and the color yellow; I dislike perverts (cue dirty looks at Kakashi); my hobbies include raising animals and making tea; my dream is to be the first Jonin female Hyuuga.

'_It looks like Hinata is the only stable one on the team,_' Kakashi thought. "Looks like your all that's left Naruto," the Jonin said to the blonde boy, who had finally calmed down enough to speak. "My name is Namikaze Naruto! I like ramen and the color orange; I dislike vegetables and tests; my hobby is panking; and my dream is to be the Godaime Hokage!" Naruto shouted.

'_Naruto seems to have grown a lot since I last saw him. Hopefully, he will be a great ninja,_' Kakashi thought. "Ok! Now it's time to get down to the nitty-gritty! Do you know why we're meeting here, at a training field?" The three Genin stared at Kakashi blankly.

"*_Sigh_* We're here…so that I can evaluate the strongest and the weakest. You three are going to fight…me!" Kakashi said, pointing to himself with his thumb when he said me. Naruto and Sasuke's eyes brightened at this news, while Hinata seemed a tad nervous.

"The order will be the order that you spoke. Sasuke, you're first. Oh…one more thing. If you three can't scratch me, you will go back to the Academy!" The raven-haired emo stood to his feet and moved a few feet away from Kakashi. '_Hmm…it's not really surprising that he uses the Ryuuwaizu (_Wise Dragon_) [__10__] style of Taijutsu, considering who trained him before me,_' Kakashi thought. He dropped into his own fighting stance, a variation of the Urufususamaji (_Fierce Wolf_) [11].

Sasuke made the first move, running straight toward Kakashi. He quickly sidestepped to the right and aimed a high kick to the Jonin's temple. Kakashi simply grabbed the Uchiha's leg and used his momentum to fling him across the field. The boy tucked and rolled to avoid any real damage and leapt to his feet.

"I can see I won't have to try for you," Kakashi said. He pulled out a small, orange book and began reading. Sasuke screamed in frustration, "Don't think I'm a joke!" He charged Kakashi again, this time making hand seals. "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu (_Great Fireball Technique_)!"

Sasuke leapt high into the air and spat a massive fireball at Kakashi. The white-haired man made a simple hand seal and said, "Kawarimi no Jutsu (_Changing Body Stance Technique_)." The fireball seemed to engulf the man in an instant. Sasuke landed and smirked at the damage he caused.

"You know, if you want to be a Genin, you'll have to come at me harder than that," Kakashi said monotonously. He was squatting a few yards away from the burning log that took his place. Sasuke ran at him in anger, screaming obscenities at the man. Kakashi sighed and continued reading his book. When Sasuke got close enough to him, Kakashi backflipped and kicked Sasuke with enough force to fling him high in the sky. The boy sailed toward Naruto and Hinata and smashed into the ground to the immediate left of them.

"Next?" Kakashi dully asked as he stood up, his eyes never leaving the page. Hinata slowly stepped forward; she was nervous because Sasuke couldn't even hit him! Kakashi looked up to see her stance. '_So she uses the secret Taijutsu stance of the Hyuuga clan, the Kigenwashi (_Rising Eagle_)[__12__],_'Kakashi thought, his eyes returning to the book.

Hinata made a hand seal and shouted, "Jouki Bunshin no Jutsu (Steam Clone Technique)!" Fifteen Hinatas materialized around Kakashi. They rushed at him with their kunai drawn. Kakashi dropped into a full split to dodge Hinata's attempts to eviscerate him. He made another hand seal and said, "Bunshin Deri-to no Jutsu (_Clone Deletion Technique_)[13]."

The clones exploded into massive clouds of steam. Kakashi was caught in the middle and thought, '_Hmm…now I won't know if Yusuke finally gets with Reiko._' Kakashi suddenly leapt out of the cloud, Hinata hot on his tails. He roundhouse kicked her in her temple. Or at least, attempted to. His leg passed straight through. '_A regular clone,_' Kakashi thought.

The Jonin landed on the ground and prepared to squat again. He suddenly felt very cold and heavy. "Suiton: Eda no Shimo (_Water Release: Limbs of Frost_)[14]!" Hinata shouted. Kakashi realized his arms and legs were covered in a thin layer of frost. He tried in vain to free himself but was too slow. Hinata bore down on him just before he broke free, and scratched his headband. "I win!!!" Hinata squealed in joy. '_She's even better than I thought! She has to be a high Chuunin at best to be able to scratch me!_' Kakashi thought.

"I'm proud of you Hinata. It took most of my other pupils six months to be able to scratch me. Your father must be very proud of you," Kakashi said. Hinata simply blushed and stared at her feet.

"Naruto?" Kakashi inquired. Naruto clambered to his feet and, surprisingly, didn't get into a Taijutsu stance. '_I know Naruto uses the Araikitsune (_Wild Fox_)[__15__] so why isn't he using it?_' Kakashi wondered. Naruto smirked and shouted, "I'll tell you what Kakashi-sensei. I won't throw a single punch and I'll still kick your ass!"

'_Naruto being arrogant? He's more like Obito than I thought,_' Kakashi thought. "Fine, I'd be a fool to pass up an easy win," Kakashi stated. He charged straight at Naruto with his kunai drawn. He slashed Naruto and received a major shock.

"AIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kakashi screamed as the Seishou Bunshin (_Energy Clone_) dissipated. Kakashi slowly stood up and was surrounded by a mob of Narutos.

"Ok, time for my Naruto Ikkyoukonbo (Naruto's Surprise Combo)[16]!" the mob of orange ninja shouted. Two charged Kakashi and began throwing fast punches at him. Kakashi expertly blocked, dodged, and parried. "I thought you said you weren't gonna punch me!" Kakashi shouted.

"_I'm _not punching you; my clones are!" the mob shouted. '_A smart move for such a baka; using such underhanded tactics to fool his enemy,_' Kakashi thought. He dispelled the two clones and was covered in thick purple ooze. '_Ugh…Hedoro Bunshin (_Slime Clones_)[__17__], another Naruto original,_' Kakashi thought.

As Kakashi hacked and slashed his way through the mob, more and more purple ooze covered his body until he could no longer move under the sticky, funky goop. The last Naruto walked up to Kakashi and cut his hand with a kunai. Kakashi exploded into a plume of smoke, leaving Naruto bewildered. '_One clone of his managed to beat 50 of mine?!?! That's unreal!!!_' Naruto mentally screamed. A hand burst from the ground and grabbed Naruto's ankle. It dragged him under until only his head was visible. Kakashi burst from the ground a few feet away from Naruto.

"Underhanded tactics that simple won't get anyone hurt. You need to work on your cunning," Kakashi stated matter-of-factly. As soon as he finished, the white-haired Jonin felt a spike in chakra behind him. He spun around and saw Sasuke behind him. "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu (_Great Fireball Technique_)!"[18]

A massive fireball hit Kakashi at point-blank range. He could barely perform a Kawarimi in time to absorb the brunt of the attack. Kakashi materialized a few yards away, significantly burnt but otherwise unharmed. Naruto freed himself from the earth and stared his big brother [19] down.

'_Use it kit…use the Ierokitsune…use it,_' a voice said to Naruto. Like the voice that he heard a few days ago, it was deep with a sort of dark edge to it, yet at the same time, comforting. Naruto grasped the yellow handle of the blade and felt a surge of energy escape his body. He unsheathed the blade and watched it pulse. '_What is that blade? The power emanating from that blade is so…captivating,_' Kakashi thought.

'_I will help you use one of my techniques. Listen well Naruto, for soon you will be the next…,_' the voice said. Naruto's body began to act on its own accord. He tightly gripped the hilt and sent more energy into the sword. The black blade began to glow with yellow energy and the ground beneath Naruto's feet cracked.

"_FA-KITSUNE (Fox Fur)[__20__]!_" Naruto shouted. Thousands of yellow needles burst from the blade and pierced Kakashi all over his body. He felt his limbs go numb and he collapsed to the ground. "_Sasuke, get your scratch in,_" Naruto said. The raven-haired Uchiha just stared at Naruto in awe. '_He…he…he's so damn powerful! I can't beat him now!_' Sasuke thought. He hung his head and trudged over to Kakashi. Sasuke angrily slashed at Kakashi's headband.

'_I'm going to put you in a trance, kit. I need to have a word with you in my room, away from prying ears. You need to learn about the awesome power you possess,_' the voice said. The energy faded and Naruto dropped the Ierokitsune. He collapsed on the ground and slowly closed his eyes. A wild, demonic, red energy engulfed his body.

'_So…it's b-b-b-begun,_' Kakashi thought as he felt movement return to his limbs. A bright flash of yellow light appeared and Minato and Iruka rushed to the struggling Jonin. "What the hell happened here?!" Minato shouted.

"Okami Kyo-sama…" Kakashi said.

* * *

Next Time: _Who are you and what are you doing in my mind? __I am here to tell you what roads face you kit. You may think you're ready for the perils of life, but you know nothing about life as the Rosutoyue [_21_]._ Rosu-what? _Oh sweet Izanagi, I have my work cut out for me…_

The Prince Meets the King! The Kyuubi no Kitsune Speaks to his Heir!

* * *

1- New Character Bio (_Masurao Kiokure_): Kiokure is a young, thirteen-year-old Genin. He hails from the revered Masurao clan, a clan that uses viral jutsu. Kiokure is a very shy and timid boy who prefers to avoid direct confrontation. He has a great deal of potential but his shyness keeps him from truly unlocking it. His name means timid warrior.

2- This comment stemmed from a conversation me and my friend had a few weeks prior to me writing this. He drew what I based Satsu's physical appearance on and I stated he looked like a blonde, gay, Japanese version of a Jonas brother. Thus, the comment Naruto made was born.

3- New Character Bio (_Toppyoushimonai Satsu_): Satsu is a thirteen-year-old Genin who graduated with Naruto. He hails from the Toppyoushimonai clan, a clan once feared because of a powerful jutsu they created. Satsu is very stoic, but has a short temper. He is extremely skilled, as he is the Rookie of the Year. His name means crazed murderer (why I picked this name will be explained later on).

4- New Character Bio (_Ichiban Nai_): Nai is a thirteen-year-old Genin who graduated with Naruto. Nothing is known about her clan or Nai. Her name means dead first or first dead (this will be explained later on).

5- If Hinata should (God-forbid) die in the manga, I would like to see Ino get with Naruto. I kinda like the idea of them being together (I don't know why though, maybe my own personal prejudice against Sakura and Tenten). For that reason I put a little bit of history between them for possible drama later on.

6- The Ierokitsune is a mythical blade believed to have been wielded by Hi no Kuni's last lord during the Imperial days, Okami Kyo. The blade is made of black metal believed to have been gathered from the ores of Hell. The blade has many abilities that have yet to be revealed to Naruto. Legend has it, Okami Kyo brought several nations to their knees with the blade, and he had a limited mastery of its awesome power. Only a demon can wield the blade; a human who tries to use it is met with deadly results.

7- New Character Bio (_Okami Kyo_): Okami Kyo was the last Emperor (Okami) of Hi no Kuni, some 1,000 years prior to Naruto's birth. He was considered a master swordsman and illusionist. Okami Kyo was so feared that during his 60 year reign, no nation dared to assault his kingdom. He grew up as a simple shepherd and became a talented soldier. It is unknown how he got his sowrd, the Ierokitsune, or why he never received injury in battle, but it is known that he has never lost a battle (or is that true?).

8- The Mannaka no Seki (_The Gate of the Middle_): The Mannaka no Seki, located deep underneath Konoha. Only the Hokages have known about this majestic, underground gate. it is believed to be one of the nine earthly links between the realm of the living and the realm of pure souls.

9- Hinata's confidence stems from my own distaste of weak women. I felt Hinata should be more confident (in certain situations; you'll see shyness when romance comes into the story). I also changed her father's personality a little so that her upbringing was different.

10- Ryuuwaizu_ (Wise Dragon): _The Ryuuwaizu is a Taijutsu stance used by the Uchiha clan. The user relies on speed and powerful strikes to overpower the foe.

11- Urufususamaji (_Fierce Wolf_): The Urufususamaji is a Taijutsu stance once used by the Hatake Clan. The user relies on their speed to unleash a near unblockable barrage of blows.

12- Kigenwashi_ (Rising Eagle): _The Kigenwashi is a Taijutsu stance used exclusively by the main branch of the Hyuuga Clan. The user relies on agility to tire the foe out as opposed to outright combat.

13- Bunshin Deri-to no Jutsu (_Clone Deletion Technique_): The user releases a massive burst of chakra to dispel any clones near him.

14- Suiton: Eda no Shimo (_Water Release: Limbs of Frost_): The user creates sheets of frost and places them on the limbs of the target. The frost significantly slows down the target. A more powerful version of this jutsu can be utilized by a user of Hyouton.

15- Araikitsune_ (Wild Fox):_ A Taijustu stance of unknown origin. The user relies on a savage, unruly, and unpredictable assault to overpower foes.

16- Naruto Ikkyoukonbo (_Naruto's Surprise Combo_): Naruto creates a large number of clones and they attack their opponent in various ways.

17- Hedoro Bunshin_ (Slime Clones): _The user creates a clone filled with slime. The slime gets on the target when dispelled and restricts their movements.

18- Naruto and Sasuke teamed up to take Kakashi down. They put their pride aside to avoid failing. I did this for a reason which will be explained next chapter.

19- If you remember the first chapter, you'll remember how Kakashi was living with Minato and Kushina and was a bit jealous of the new baby. Kakashi has grown to love Naruto and considers him his little brother.

20- Fa-Kitsune (Fox Fur): A secret technique of the Ierokitsune. The user gathers yokai into the blade and fires it as senbon. The needles can paralyze a foe temporarily.

21- Rosutoyue means The Lost Cause. That's all and no, it won't be accurately explained next chapter.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter may not be so long because I am introducing this odd energy Naruto possesses.


	5. Exposition IV

P5yCH0- I did mean pranking and I didn't think of it like that because my family members call me lobo because I look like a wolf (minus the all the hair) and Naruto does look like a fox so that's the whole basis behind kit.

The Hee-Hoo King- I try to update as often as possible. I'll try to have a chapter every other week but I won't make any promises.

_

* * *

The Prince Meets the King! The Kyuubi no Kitsune Speaks to his Heir!_

* * *

"_**FA-KITSUNE (Fox Fur)!**_" Naruto shouted. Thousands of yellow needles burst from the blade and pierced Kakashi all over his body. He felt his limbs go numb and he collapsed to the ground. "_**Sasuke, get your scratch in,**_" Naruto said. The raven-haired Uchiha just stared at Naruto in awe.

'_He…he…he's so damn powerful! I can't beat him now!_' Sasuke thought. He hung his head and trudged over to Kakashi. Sasuke angrily slashed at Kakashi's headband.

'_**I'm going to put you in a trance, kit. I need to have a word with you in my room, away from prying ears. You need to learn about the awesome power you possess,**_' the voice said. The energy faded and Naruto dropped the Ierokitsune. He collapsed on the ground and slowly closed his eyes. A wild, demonic, red energy engulfed his body.

'_So…it's b-b-b-begun,_' Kakashi thought as he felt movement return to his limbs. A bright flash of yellow light appeared and Minato and Iruka rushed to the struggling Jonin. "What the hell happened here?!" Minato shouted.

"Okami Kyo-sama…" Kakashi said.

_

* * *

TEN MINUTES EARLIER_

Minato sat at his desk, enjoying the cool late summer breeze blowing in through his window. His intercom buzzed and Shikan's voice filled the room.

"Minato-san, Iruka-san is here and is requesting a meeting with you. Are you free now?" Minato chuckled to himself. '_I wonder what kind of hell Naruto is putting Kakashi through for Iruka to come to me?_' he thought.

"Send him in," Minato replied. A few moments passed before the heavily bandaged Chuunin opened the door. He shuffled toward one of the empty chairs in front of Minato and flopped down into it. He looked around nervously, as if he was unsure of how to start.

"Minato-sensei, uh, can I ask you something?" Iruka asked. Minato gazed into the Chuunin's brown eyes before nodding his head. "I did my research on Hatake Kakashi. He the first of your nine students, and the first of your students to become a Jonin; he was a member of ANBU by the time he was 17; a captain by 20; and he went on a mission with Uchiha Obito and Inuzuka Rin and they vanished. Now all of a sudden they're back in the village. What the hell is going on?"

Minato held up his hand and the ANBU guards hiding in the room revealed themselves. "You five can go for the moment. I need to have a word with Iruka-san here," the blonde Kage said. The five ninja vanished and Minato began stringing together hand seal. "Muon no Jutsu (Soundless Technique)[**1**]," Minato said.

"What I say in this room remains between us, understood?" Minato said. Iruka nodded and the Hokage continued. "I removed Hatake Kakashi from the village because he was the target of an assassination attempt. The people trying to kill him are all dead now, so I ordered him to come back into the village. He is the best student I ever trained, so I asked him to train Naruto and whoever would be on his team," Minato said.

"That's it?" Iruka asked in disbelief.

"Yup," Minato replied nonchalantly.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake tremendously and a powerful, dark chakra began to cover the village. "What the hell is that?" Iruka shouted. Minato paled and said in a barely audible whisper:

"Naruto!"

* * *

Naruto awoke floating in a foul-smelling brown liquid. He looked around at his surroundings; greatly-stained walls, a huge pipe system, and poor lighting. 'Great, I'm in a fucking sewer,' thought Naruto.

The blonde kitsune swam toward a raised platform and pulled himself out of the water. "Hmm, this doesn't look like the Konoha Sewer System. It's way too dirty. So where am I?" Naruto said out loud.

"_**Kit! Follow the arrows and I'll explain everything to you!**_" the same deep, dark, ominous voice from earlier said to Naruto.

"Uh, what si—" Naruto began until he saw a massive neon sign that read:

THIS WAY TO THE FOX DEN ==== :-)

"Never mind!" Naruto shouted. He took off running in the direction of the arrow.

* * *

Naruto came to the end of the sewer. He noticed the final arrow was pointing to a long ladder that went up into darkness. Naruto mounted the latter and began climbing…

…and climbing…

…and climbing…

…and…what the hell?!?!?...

…I HATE THIS…

…and climbing some more…

After what seemed like an eternity, Naruto made it to the top. He twisted the lid and came up to a beautiful meadow. Naruto pulled himself out of the sewer and was greeted by a large and opulent castle. Naruto began walking toward it, but was stopped when a spiraling, red vortex of energy materialized in front of him.

A man stepped out of it. He had wild, red hair that cascaded down his back. His kimono was red, purple, orange, and pink; the pattern reminded Naruto of the sunset. His eyes were a deep shade of blue. The man walked to Naruto and bowed to him.

"_**Konnichiwa Naruto-sama,"**_ he said. Naruto was shocked; no one had ever bowed to him or ever given him an honorific other than –kun before. Naruto bowed as well, lower than the man did and said:

"_**Konnichiwa, uh…"**_

"_**Kyo. Okami Kyo**_," the man, er, Kyo replied. Naruto's eyes widen; a 1,000 year old imperial king was talking to him. Naruto's first reaction was:

"Oh my fucking God! I'm dead!" Naruto screamed. Kyo laughed and said:

"_**Hahahahahahahahahahaha! I had that same response when I came here 12 years ago,**_" Kyo said.

"So where are we?" Naruto asked. He looked around to take in the scenery: vibrant green grass, tall trees, flowers growing all over the place, a massive river flowed through the crevice behind Kyo. The sky was blue and cloudless and the sun shone brightly in the sky.

"_**We are in your mind Naruto-sama. Or, to be specific, the yang side of your mind [1]. This is the place where character traits like love, valor, honor, etc., etc. reside. That sewer system you were in connects your yin and yang**_**,**" Kyo stated.

"Oh…so I guess things like hatred, anger, and sadness live in the yin part?" Naruto asked. Kyo nodded and looked at the manhole.

"_**Trust me, you NEVER want to go there. Those emotions are too powerful for you to overcome if they gang up on you. But that is not why I called you here. I called you here to warn you of the path you must take and the energy you posses,**_" he said.

"_**See, you are a bijuu (**_Tailed Beast_**). Bijuu were the original heralds of Izanagi,**_" Kyo began. Naruto, who was sitting on the ground Indian-style, raised his hand and asked:

"Who's Izanagi?" Naruto asked.

"_**The people of your time call him Kami. He is the man who granted us these awesome powers [2]. Now, the bijuu has one task and one task only: to actively seek out and destroy the vilest creatures in the human's realm. Never forget that bijuu are instruments of death and destruction.**_"

"So all I'm good for is killing?" inquired Naruto. "I became a ninja to become a Hokage and bring peace to the world."

"_**Nothing in life is so black and white. There are four classifications of beings: humans, demons, angels, and gods. Humans were created to be servants. They were supposed to make your realm better to please Izanagi. Demons were created to destroy any humans who went to the other side, the yin side. We are used as a final resort. Angels are healers of the soul; they make the souls of humans who were hurt and oppressed begin to purify again. And the gods make sure everything remains balanced in our world.**_

"_**Angels are called by the gods to purify lost souls to avoid unnecessary bloodshed and death. When that lost soul rejects an angel's attempt, one of two things happens. Either the lost soul continues about its downward path until he dies, or he attacks the angel. When that happens,"**_ Kyo stopped then pointed at Naruto, "_**Your kind is summoned. You rise up to defend the angels and send the souls to Shinigami. Do you understand now?**_"

Naruto nodded and replied, "I still have other questions, though. How did you get in my head? You died over a thousand years ago? And who exactly is Izanagi and Shinigami? Did they make me into this…this…beast?" Kyo flinched at the anger in Naruto's voice.

"_**All things will be answered in due time. And let's get something straight kit. Be proud of what you are. Very few people have been blessed to possess the power you possess!**_" Kyo shouted at the blonde kitsune.

"What power? I have chakra like everyone else on Earth; it's just a different color," Naruto shot back. Kyo shook his head and said:

"_**Kit you possess something better than chakra. You possess a power known as yokai.**_"

"What's that?" Naruto asked.

"_**Yokai is the yin side of chakra. Izanagi gathered up all the negative energy required to kill and separated it from his being. He blessed your kind with these powers. Yokai is a very…volatile energy source. Most humans cannot even come into contact with it for it badly burns their skin.**_

"_**Now, the first thing you need to know is that yokai is much more powerful and much more potent than human chakra. Yokai can magnify any jutsu by at least five times its normal power. Yokai flows from your heart throughout the rest of your body and can be channeled exactly like chakra,**_" Kyo said. Naruto raised his hand and asked:

"So basically, I'm like a god?"

Kyo laughed and said, "_**No, but your something close. Yokai has its downside; it is harder to channel than chakra and requires different emotions for different jutsu.**_"

"That explains why I have a hard time creating Bunshin!" Naruto shouted. "So what emotions do I need for those jutsu?"

"_**Generally, for Bunshin and Genjutsu, you must be calm. It helps you to generate your yokai faster and make it more potent,**_" Kyo answered. Naruto began to ask another question, but he realized that his surroundings began to flicker. Kyo mentally cursed at his luck.

"_**Damned demonic regeneration. Listen Naruto, our time is very short. Let me place this seal on you so we can stay interlinked when you awake,**_" Kyo shouted. A fierce windstorm broke out and the very fabric of reality seemed to rip and tear like paper. Kyo trudged toward Naruto, pulling out a brush coated in blood. He drew a kanji on Naruto's forehead and made hand seals. Kyo placed his hand on Naruto's forehead and said:

"_**Knilretni ruo slous! [3]**_" Kyo shouted. And just in time too. Darkness enshrouded Naruto and slowly overtook his body.

* * *

Minato impatiently sat over Naruto's comatose body. He was very upset that his son kept losing control of his powers, but the situation was out of his hands. The red energy surrounding his son would get violent whenever anyone got near Naruto. Shikan had just arrived at the training field and rushed to his master's side.

"Lord Namikaze! How is Naruto-kun?" the Tokubetsu Jonin half-asked, half-shouted. Minato shook his head and replied, barely audibly:

"I don't know. I thing you may have to send for the Master Sealer, Shikan-san." Shikan prepared to bite his thumb to summon a messenger, when the energy dissipated instantly and Naruto leapt up in confusion.

"Naruto! What happened?" Minato inquired as he rushed to his son's side. Naruto looked around at the people watching him; Kakashi had finally gotten some feeling in his body; Hinata looked scared out of her mind; Sasuke looked like a bigger emo than before; and Shikan was loudly cursing as he applied a bandage to his bleeding thumb.

_**Naruto! You cannot tell anyone of what transpired in your mind!**_

"I…I don't know," Naruto said. Minato could tell he was lying (Naruto wouldn't look him in the eye), but decided not to press him unnecessarily.

A massive plume of smoke surrounded the ninja, and a small white ape leapt out. He was garbed in a black kimono and had a mallet tied to his back.

"Shourei Yamazaru [**4**], long time no see. How's Enma?" Minato asked. The little ape bowed to Minato and said:

"It is nice to see you as well young Hokage. Unfortunately, the nature of my visit is not a pleasant one. The Civilian and Clan Council are calling an emergency meeting about…" Shourei trailed off. Mianto knew exactly what was being talked about and instantly became pissed.

"Kit, are you sure you're ok?" Minato inquired, voice full of fatherly concern.

Naruto nodded and said, "Go be a Kage Tousan." Minato gazed at the kitsune and vanished in a burst of yellow light. Shourei followed in a burst of smoke.

"Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllllllllllllll, at least you guys passed," Kakashi stated.

* * *

Minato arrived in the Village Hall and was greeted by the angry faces of the Councils. "Well, well, well, Minato Namikaze graces us with his presence," a man with a gruff, thick, Japanese accent said. Minato looked at him, a crippled old man, and, although his face didn't show it, his voice had no problems displaying the malevolence he held for the old man.

"Danzo. I should have known you would have called this meeting. Trying to oust me again?" Minato spat. Danzo chuckled and shot back:

"Please boy. If I still had my right arm, I would show you who should be the Hokage."

"Enough!" shouted Hiruzen, who sat in the Clan Council area. "Minato, some of the councilmen feel Naruto is a threat to public safety. Danzo's argument is that he has no control over his power, and could kill innocent people."

"Bah! I can speak for my own self Hiruzen! I have come up with a plan to…shall we say, _**fix**_, Naruto's problem," Danzo said, adding venom to the word 'fix.' By now, Minato had lost his patience.

"How about I rip off your fucking arm and use it to gouge out your other eye, you motherfucking cripple!" Minato shouted. A smug smirk crept over Danzo's face as he felt the fluctuations of Minato's chakra.

'_Hmmmm…he's getting maaaaaa-aaaad,_' Danzo thought as he spun in his chair. "Why so angry boy? I would _never_ do anything to harm Naruto!" he said in a sickeningly sweet manner. "Let me train him and I guarantee you he will be able to use his chakra in ways never before seen by man!"

"I'd sooner give my left nut to Koharu-san," Minato mumbled.

"What was that?" Danzo inquired.

"I said, give me one year and I promise Naruto will be able to control his chakra enough to not pose a threat to anyone," Minato asked, no damn near begged.

"I say we take a vote. All in favor of allowing Minato to selfishly risk our lives, er, I mean help the boy raise your hands," Danzo said. The entire Clan Council raised their hands. "So that means the rest of you are on my side?"

"So by a vote of 51-50, Naruto has exactly one year to control his chakra, or _I_ will take control of the matter," Danzo said.

"Meeting adjourned, Danzo," Minato said viciously.

* * *

"Where is Danzo? He's always late," a man said. He was sitting in the shade of a large tree. The shade obscured any physical characteristics, making it hard to identify him. A slightly older, taller man stood next to him and said:

"Relax Weasel. Remember, he is a manic depressive, paranoid cripple. He's making sure he's not followed." At that exact moment, Danzo walked into the clearing. "Ah, speak of the devil. When can I expect Naruto to be in my clutches?"

Danzo dropped to his knees and replied, with a small amount of fear, "Uh…in one year, Leader-sa—ARGHHH!" Danzo was dangling in the air. His body was slowly rising higher, higher, higher until he was a few feet above the treeline. Leader-sama was standing on the top of the tall tree.

"What's the holdup old man?!" he shouted.

"The Councils voted to allow Naruto a year to get his powers under control. There is nothing I can do to override it unless I can provoke Naruto to lose control, which I won't be able to because ANBU will be tailing him in the village and Minato will keep him out of the village, and my reach, not that he is a Genin," Danzo sputtered out. Leader-sama seemed to contemplate this and replied:

"Hmmm…ok." He released his hold on Danzo and let him plummet to the earth below. Just a few feet before the ground decided to get up in Danzo's face, the younger man, Weasel, caught him and gracefully landed on the nearby ground. And ungracefully dropped the old cripple on the ground.

"Be more careful next time Danzo-san. I won't save you again you murderous bastard," Weasel said. Danzo's eye widened when he saw Weasel's face. "I promise you Danzo, the next time you see my face, Shinigami's will be the next one you see."

Next Time: ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If I do another D-Rank mission I'm gonna burst! Give me a real mission dad! Wuh, wait! Do I have to work for…the ahou hebereke!!!

The Worst Possible Client! The Deceitful Bridge Master!

* * *

1- I came up with the yin-yang mind thing reading another fanfiction where Ino tried going into Neji's mind during the Chuunin Exams and was almost broken by the yin in him. I can't remember who wrote that story, so if you read this, I am so sorry for not clearing it with you first.

2- Izanagi is like our God. I will explain more about him later on in the fic.

3- This is the Ancient Tongue spoken by the people of Kyo's time. I didn't provide a translation because no one in Naruto's time can speak this language. However, if you read each word backwards, you'll see what the hell Kyo said lol.

_4- New Character Bio_ (Shourei Yamazaru): Shourei is a personal summon of the Sarutobi clan. He is a messenger, not a fighter, although he is particularly skilled with a mallet. Shourei is the youngest of the Yamazaru clan. His name literally translates into messenger monkey.

A/N: I am soooooooooooooooo sorry for the massive delay. I kinda lost my nerve because of this stupid writing competition I lost. I didn't place well (15th of 24) and I was in a funk both mentally and literally. My best friends slapped some sense into me and I'm back and ready to go! There will be a bit of action next chapter and I'll be developing a little twist to the story.


	6. Exposition V

Naruhinaultrasuperfan4437- I will trust me. But I kinda feel like they should be close.

* * *

_The Worst Possible Client! The Deceitful Bridge Master!_

* * *

Large, fluffy, white clouds floated in the clear, azure sky that hung over the forest. Three figures darted through the clearing, expertly weaving in and out of trees.

"What's the distance to the target, over?" a voice crackled through the figures' headsets.

"About five meters. Blue Dragon is ready at any time, over."

"So is Grey Eagle. W-w-w-what about you Yellow Fox? [_**1**_]"

"What's the point of these stupid ass codenames?!"

"Just capture the target!"

The figures looked out from behind the tree, revealing the faces of Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata. They watched as their target leaned against a tree to catch his breath. He had been running for three straight hours and was fatigued. Sasuke nodded to Hinata, who had reached into her supply pouch. She pulled out a yellow sphere and raised her arm. With deadly accuracy, Hinata flung the orb at the target. A foul-smelling, yellow gaseous solution filled the air.

The target leapt to avoid the gas, but Naruto and Sasuke were ready for him. They too had leapt into the air, each holding long chains. The two boys flung their chains and watched as it wrapped around his body. Sasuke and Naruto tugged their ends of the chains and watched as it tightened around the targets body. They proceeded to yank the target toward them, revealing him to be…

A FRIGGIN' CAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

"Ribbon on the left ear…is it Tora?" the voice boomed into Team 7's ear.

"Yes…and I agree with Naruto, Kakashi-sensei. The codenames were idiotic," Sasuke replied. He could hear Kakashi suck his teeth and mumble something about uncool teenagers. Sasuke turned to Hinata and Naruto (although he was addressing Hinata more than Naruto) and said, "Well team, mission's a success. How about we get some food when we return to Konoha?"

Hinata smiled at Sasuke's sweet gesture. Naruto, on the other hand, turned red instantly. '_It's bad enough he's so damn great, but now he has to try and date Hinata-chan!_' the blonde kitsune thought.

"No thanks, Sasuke-san. I have things to do when I return home. I hope you understand," Hinata replied. Sasuke walked over to Hinata and placed his hand on her shoulder. He flashed her his patented Sasuke-smirk©[_**2**_] and replied in his cool voice:

"It's ok. Trust me, Hinata-chan, there will be plenty more opportunities." Sasuke grabbed the cat and began walking toward base camp. Naruto was literally having an aneurysm trying to not kill Sasuke.

"N-n-n-naruto-kun[_**3**_], are you ok?" Hinata asked. The blonde calmed himself down rather quickly and replied:

"Oh, uh, um, uh, yeah, just a little, uh, fatigued." Hinata smiled and replied:

"W-w-w-w-well, we should hurry on to base camp. Come on!"

* * *

"Oh, my sweet little Tora!!!! You've brought him back to me!!!! Thank you sooo much!!!" a rather large, buxom lady shrieked as she squeezed Tora against her, um, rather large bosom. Tora shrieked in pain as the lady squeezed him tighter. Naruto could have sworn he heard Tora's spine shatter.

"Next time keep the mangy cat on a leash," Shikan [_**4**_] mumbled as he idly played with the medallion around his neck [_**5**_]. Minato quickly slapped him in the back of his head and muttered:

"Shut up! That's Lady Shijimi; the Fire Lord's wife! You know the guy who funds…Discreet Fridays [_**6**_]!" Shikan immediately straightened up and prayed Lady Shijimi, a woman known for violent tantrums and vindictiveness, had not heard him.

'_**No wonder he ran away,**_' Team 7 thought.

'_**When's this damned cat gonna off itself or just die already!**_' Minato, Kakashi, and Shikan thought. Once Lady Shijimi had left with her prisoner, er, cat, Minato pulled out a manila folder with Team 7 scribbled on it.

"Ok guys! Your next missions are to babysit Elder Koharu's grandson, shopping in a neighboring village, and digging potatoes at the local farm," Minato stated as he read the contents of the folder.

"HELL NO!!!!!!!!" shouted Naruto. "I want a mission where I can, hmmmmm…DO SHIT!!!!!" Everyone was taken aback by Naruto's brash approach to what they were all thinking. Shikan spoke up:

"Oi! Kid, you're just a rookie Genin. You have to start off somewhere."

"True," replied Naruto. "But we only get crappy assignments! And I heard Team 6 are going on C-Rank missions!"

Shikan fired back, "That's because they tested high enough to be Chuunin! Sasuke would have been on their squad if your scores weren't so low!" This earned the hardened Tokubetsu Jonin an intense glare from Naruto and a smirk from Sasuke.

"Naruto-kun, you know how things work around here," Minato said. "Genin get D- and low C-Rank missions; Chuunin get C- and B-Rank missions; and Jonin and ANBU get A-Rank missions. You have to crawl before you can walk."

Naruto simply glared at his father. '_Wonderful advice, __**father,**_**' **the boy thought. Minato could feel a small amount of foreboding chakra leaking from Naruto and averted his eyes. Kakashi noticed this quickly; no man alive had ever made the Yondaime do this, but a small boy did? He would have to check into this later…

"You know what? I think you're right Naruto," Minato said lowly. Everyone looked shock and all thought the same thing:

'_**WHAT THE HELL?!?!?!?!**_'

"Hatake Kakashi, Hyuuga Hinata, Namikaze Naruto, and Uchiha Sasuke, your mission is to protect—"

"Oooooooooooo!!!! I know!!! A feudal lord!!! Or maybe a hot princess!!!" Naruto interrupted. A sudden knock at the door distracted the blonde fox long enough for Minato to speak again.

"That should be him. Come on in, sir." The door slid open, and the first thing to come through was a near empty bottle of Sake Fukidemono (_Boiling Sake_) [_**7**_]. A short, stocky man with a nice tan and wild grey hair walked in. Or stumbled in, your choice.

"They're all a bunch of damned brats, boy!" the man shouted to Minato. "Especially the blonde one with the super stupid-looking face! Are you even a fucking ninja?!"

"That's enough Tazuna-san. And if you call my sound stupid one more time, your pursuers won't have much of a job left to do," Minato calmly stated. Tazuna was wise enough to keep his drunken mouth closed.

Sasuke spoke up for the first time and said, "Who is this guy?" The man began to laugh that drunken laugh and replied:

"I am the greatest bridge builder in the Five Great Nations! I am Hashi Tazuna [_**8**_]!"

"Hmph…never heard of you. In fact, you look like a regular drunk to me," Sasuke replied. Tazuna became extremely incensed, but Minato cut him off.

"Sasuke! Show Tazuna-san some respect! If it weren't for him, we would all have died in the Second Great Shinobi War [_**9**_]!" Sasuke's face remained neutral but he didn't say anything else. Minato took a deep breath and then said, "Your mission is to protect Tazuna-san until he reaches the Nami no Kuni (The Land of Waves) and completes a bridge connecting Hi and Nami. Do you accept?"

"HELL YEAH!!!!"

* * *

The next day, Team 7 met at the Southeastern Gate of Konoha. Kakashi was surprisingly there already and Tazuna was also there, surprisingly sober.

"Wow Kakashi-sensei! You're on time!" Hinata remarked. She could tell Kakashi was smiling by his eyes as he said:

"I'm always early for missions. Well, everyone is here. It'll take us about a day and a half to get to the shore, where we'll get a boat out to Nami and stay until the bridge is done. It should take about two weeks for the whole mission to take place. Now let's move out!"

After walking for a few hours, the group had arrived in Otafuku Gai [_**10**_], a large metropolitan area. They rented rooms in a hotel and had decided to get some food. Naruto looked at the bright neon lights of the advertisements with awe as they reached a BBQ restaurant.

"What's with that idiotic look on your face, brat? Tazuna asked as he cracked open another bottle of Fukidemono.

"I've never been outside of the village before and I always dreamed about coming here! It's more awesome than the pictures!" Naruto replied. Sasuke snorted and said:

"Aww, the poor dobe's never been outta the village."

Naruto growled, "What did you say to me, you Queen?!" The two got in each other's faces, but Hinata prevented a brawl from breaking out.

"Sasuke! Stop picking on Naruto-kun! It's really pathetic to pick on someone weaker than you!" she shouted. Naruto winced at Hinata's comment. Sasuke saw Naruto's reaction and smirked.

"You're right. I don't have to waste my energy on pond scum," he replied.

"I AM NOT SCUM! One day, I'm gonna be your boss! I'll be the Godaime!" Sasuke giggled, then busted out laughing.

"Oh, please! The Hokage is the greatest ninja in our village. Just because you're the son of the Yondaime and the grandson of Namikaze Naiya [_**11**_] doesn't mean you'll be as great. I doubt you'll become anything higher than a Chuunin," he said. Before Sasuke realized what had happened, he was pinned to the wall of the restaurant. Naruto's right fist held a handful of Sasuke's shirt; his left was covered in black yokai [_**12**_]. The white of his eyes was yellow and his blue irises were slitted like a fox.

"_**I will become Hokage! You will acknowledge me Sasuke!**_" he shouted, gaining the attention of the passerbyers. Sasuke's smirk widened and he shot back:

"No. I won't. Even if you did become Hokage, I wouldn't accept you. If you could beat me in a fight, though, I'd be prepared to accept you."

"I'm sorry to break up this, um, brotherly love session, but our table is ready," Kakashi stated. Naruto returned to normal and released Sasuke.

As they walked into the restaurant, two pairs of eyes watched them from a nearby puddle.

* * *

"Hey Tazuna-san, do you mind if I ask you a question?" Hinata asked. By now, Tazuna was on his fourth bottle of Fukidemono. He nodded.

"Does Nami have a hidden village or ninja?" Tazuna seemed to sober up and a somber look etched its way across his face.

"No, not anymore. Over thirty years ago, we did. I lived in Namigakure no Sato (_The Village Hidden in the Waves_) and was a Jonin. During the Second Great Ninja War, Tsuchi launced a massive offensive on Nami and soon, we were conquered. Four hundred ninja and I lead a counterattack, but we were unsuccessful. Only my wife and I survived. For a time, we were able to hold the Tsuchi-nin off. But my wife got pregnant with my daughter, and we could no longer continue to run.

"On the day of my daughter's birth, a Tsuchi-nin [_**12**_] found us. I'll never forget him; so huge and such an evil look on his face. He smashed my wife's head with his bare hands and tried to kill me. I grabbed my baby and ran. Then, Tsuchi was going to move into Konohagakure. I sought out asylum from Sarutobi Hiruzen and helped him bring down Tsuchi, but I never found that ninja. I had used up so much damn chakra that my damn network became too damn fried to repair, and I'll never be able to exact my damned vengeance on that damn bastard." By now, tears were pouring down Tazuna's face.

"If it wasn't for Tazuna-san's speedy arrival in Konoha, Tsuchi would have crushed us. He's a national hero in Hi no Kuni," added Kakashi.

Suddenly, two kunai crashed through the window and impaled themselves into the wall near Sasuke. Two explosive tags were attached and burst into flames. A massive explosion engulfed the team and propelled them out of the window into the middle of an alleyway.

Kakashi leapt to his feet immediately, but was quickly hit in his eye by a shuriken. A kunai embedded itself in his neck and the silver-haired ninja dropped to the ground as blood oozed out of his wounds.

Two oddly dressed ninja were sitting on a nearby lamppost, laughing at the carnage they caused. Naruto slowly rose to his feet, but the two ninja had made their way behind him.

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (_Fire Release: Grand Fireball Technique_)!" A massive fireball made its way toward the two ninja. They quickly leaped out of the way, but into Hinata's pathway.

"Hakke Hirakakuu (_Eight Trigrams Aerial Palm_)!" she shouted as she leapt into the air and began thrusting her palms into the younger one's chest. She narrowly missed her chance to kill him as gravity began to work against her. Hinata nimbly moved out of the way as he crashed into the ground.

Sasuke had rushed to where the older ninja landed and hit him under his chin with the handle of his kunai. He then kicked him high into the air and leapt into the air. Sasuke delivered a powerful left kick, then another high kick. He forced his body down to the ground. As the ninja made his way down, Sasuke cocked his right fist back. One powerful punch to the gut was all it took to knock the air out of the ninja. He tumbled into a heap next to his partner.

"Ugh, Gouzu, my whole body feels like jelly!"

"These kids are too tough Meizu!"

Suddenly, the concrete around the ninja began to swallow them until only their heads remained visible. Kakashi walked over to them, cracking his knuckles.

"Hinata, Sasuke, you guys did a good job. I'm quite impressed," Kakashi said. "And Naruto…well…um…better luck next time?" Naruto turned red from anger. He got even redder when Sasuke smirked at him.

'_I don't understand! It was his first battle, but Sasuke didn't even look scared! There's no emotion on his face; not even a damn speck of dust! He even saved me,_' Naruto thought.

_**Do not fret kit. You still cling to your humanity, so fear is a natural occurrence, especially when the prospect of death is added. If it makes you feel any better, I am best friends with Death. **_Naruto had forgotten he and Kyo were interlinked now. Kyo laughed heartily and then said:

_**You will get your chance to shine soon, Namikaze Naruto. Just make sure the reason you desire to surpass the Uchiha is to be stronger, not to win the girl's affections.**_

'_Wh-Wh-What?!?! Me and Hinata?!?!?! That's funny!_' Naruto laughed mentally.

_**Suuuuuure…I took it upon myself to view all of your memories and feelings about her. You like her. But humans like to lie about their emotions. Maybe one day though…**_

Naruto was unable to hear the rest of Kyo's statement, for Sasuke had walked over to him and plucked him in the forehead. "You ok?" Sasuke gave him a genuine smile, one filled with concern. Naruto, weary of the sudden change, replied:

"Uh, yeah, I was still a little shocked from the explosion."

"Just making sure," Sasuke answered back. His smirk had no returned. "'Cause it looked like you were just a scared bit—"

"Enough Sasuke!" Kakashi shouted. "I guess it's time you told us the truth old man," Kakashi said, directing this comment at Tazuna. "Why are we being attacked if this is supposed to be a basic escort mission?" The old drunk didn't answer.

"So now this is a B-Rank mission. Because you lied about the scope of this mission, we're far beyond our duties. I should take your ass back to Minato and make you pay for the more expensive mission. This is just like you: always trying to get quality work for cheap prices!" Kakashi shouted.

"NO!" Everyone turned and looked at Hinata in shock. Outbursts were more common to Naruto. "We can handle this Kakashi-sensei! We can't go back home! I, uh, we need to finish this mission!"

"Hinata-chan is right! If we go back, dad will never give us a chance to prove ourselves!" Naruto said. Kakashi turned to look at Sasuke.

"Eh, I want to beat up some more people," he answered nonchalantly.

Kakashi sighed. '_**So much for getting out of this mission. Rin-chan is just going to have to be mad at me again.**_' Kakashi coughed and said, "Fine. We'll complete this mission, but you have to repay the village within the year. Now, who is after you and why?"

* * *

A small man flanked by several large and intimidating bodyguards stormed into a large, moss-covered treehouse. They burst into a dark, unfurnished room, hands on the hilts of their katana. A lone man sat on the ground. The average person couldn't make out his features because of the lack of light in the room.

"Gouzu and Meizu have been captured! You promised me they would kill the old man!" the short man screamed. "I paid you a king's ransom because I heard you were one of the best that Kirigakure no Sato (_The Village Hidden in the Waves_) had to offer and because shark-man vanished [_**13**_]!"

The man sitting on the floor moved his arm up and grabbed a large, imposing object. He flung it at the short man and watched as it connected with the wall a mere centimeter above his head. The man realized that it was a massive knife.

"Come in here again, and I will kill you. The old man will die; because I'm headed to Otafuku Gai." The fear that spread across the small man's face slowly transformed into a childlike glee.

"Excellent. I trust you will take care of business. Very well, I'll take my leave Kirigakure no Oni (_Demon of the Hidden Mist_)." With that, the man and his guards walked out.

"Ugh, damned midget. And you, you don't ever reveal yourself when he's around. You're my insurance." The man was talking to the wall that his knife was buried in.

"I know my little Hakuhenyuki (_Snowflake_). I'm sorry I scared you, but I don't want that lecherous old man trying to rape you." Silence. "I grow weary of this lifestyle too. But I am hunted by the Mizukage. There's only one place that would take me and they don't deal with criminals." Silence. "I know, I know, I'll figure thigns out, but right now daddy has to go to work." He walked over to the knife and yanked it out of the wall. The man's body turned into water before collapsed onto the ground.

* * *

Next Time: _Another ninja is here! And he's way stronger than the two we fought in Otafuku Gai! What am I gonna do? Even Sasuke is afraid!_

_Ferocious Storm! The Demon of the Mist Strikes!_

* * *

1- Pay attention to these codenames. That's all.

2- I don't know if putting the copyright symbol on something I don't own but I kinda thought it would have been funny.

3- Remember when I said Hinata would be more confident? Well, I thought it would be appropriate to make her nervous around Naruto. I haven't fully decided when, but I will hook Naruto and Hinata up.

4- One complaint I had early on with Naruto was that it should have been hard for Iruka to be a teacher and give out missions too. So I gave the later responsibility to Shikan.

5- Shikan's medallion is very important to him. And it is important to the development of the story.

6- Discreet Fridays comes from a stupid joke about what old pervs do on Friday nights. Thank you Dane Cook!

7- I got this idea from RasenganFin's story _Hinata's Guardian_. During one chapter, Naruto and Tazuna had a conversation about sake and which country makes the best. So I gave each nation a special brand of sake in my story. I'm not sure if that's considered stealing his idea so I'll give him the credit for that idea to be safe. You guys should check his story out though!

8- New Character Bio (_Hashi Tazuna_): Tazuna is an ex-ninja of the former Namigakure no Sato. He was extremely skilled in Kenjutsu and Suiton Ninjutsu. He was a prospect to become the Nidaime Namikage (_Wave Shadow_). Tazuna lost everyone he loved in the Second Great Shinobi War: his wife, his brother, and his comrades. He lost his ability to mold chakra during a battle and took up his clan's trade: bridge building.

9- History Lesson (_The Second Great Ninja War_): The Second Great Ninja War took place during a span of over nine years. The conflict began when Tsuchi no Kuni (_Land of Earth_) invaded the South Sea Islands, a territory of Mizu no Kuni (_Land of Water_). Hi no Kuni and Kaminara no Kuni (_Land of Lightning_) quickly rushed to Mizu's aid, while Yuki no Kuni (_Land of Snow_) and Kaze no Kuni (_Land of Wind_) augmented the Tsuchi forces. This war made the Sannin, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and several other ninja famous. The end of the war marked the beginning of the Sandaime Hokage's rule and the end of the Namikaze Clan.

10- Geography Lesson (_Otafuku Gai_): Otafuku Gai is a large city with a population of 2.3 million people. The city is based on the real city of New York (my birthplace! GO GIANTS!!!).

11- New Character Bio (_Namikaze Naiya_): Naiya was the leader of the Namikaze Clan before Namikaze Minato. He was an extremely gifted ninja that was considered as a possible candidate for Hokage. Naiya was born the son of Namikaze Seigyoku, the founder of the Namikaze clan and a powerful ninja in his own right. Naiya was a master of his clan's speed based jutsu and mastered their kekkei genkei (A/N: I'm still trying to think of a name for it) at the age of 12. He was also proficient in Katon. Naiya became a victim of the Namikaze Massacre after returning from battle. He was too weak to defend himself due to his exhaustion and injuries from battle and was easily killed.

12- As you may have concluded, red yokai is the energy of Okami Kyo and yellow yokai is Naruto's energy. So who uses black energy?

13- A bit of a hint as to what happened to Hoshigaki Kisame before he joined Akatsuki.


	7. Nami no Kuni I

_Ferocious Storm! The Demon of the Mist Strikes!_

_(break)_

"Now, who's after you old man?" Kakashi asked. From his one visible eye, Tazuna could see that the silver-haired Jonin meant business.

"*Sigh* I guess I should start at the beginning," Tazuna said.

"About eight years ago, a man named Gato came to our village. He promised us that he could make our nation very wealthy if we supported his attempts to become our new daimyo. I was skeptical of his promises, but the rest of the Council of Elders became ensnared by what he said.

"Gatou became our daimyo, and things soon changed. Crime began to skyrocket; so did our taxes. Laws became unbearably restrictive and his 'soldiers' began patrolling our streets. Soon, Gatou began killing councilmen who opposed his regime. He loves the opposite sex and his lusts were becoming very public, so girls that he 'borrowed' for a night never returned. By the end of the year, Gatou had stripped us of all of our human liberties," Tazuna said.

"I still don't quite understand what we're here for," Kakashi replied.

"Gatou has a shipping empire. Up front, it appears like he ships goods between the Five Great Nations and their territories. But the truth is that his ships are filled with drugs and slaves," Tazuna answered. He took a swig of his Fukidemono before continuing.

"Gatou had all the bridges in Nami destroyed so that we would have to rely on his services to ship. That means we get charged an exorbitant tax. Building a bridge between Hi and Nami would severely deplete his revenue; so he hired ninja to kill me. And that, my boy, is why I need you."

Kakashi sighed and thought, '_Obito never gets the hard ones!_' He sighed then asked, "Well, do you at least know the name of the ninja after you?"

Tazuna shook his head and replied, "Nay. But I've seen the leader from a far. He wields a large meat cleaver, but that's all I can tell you." Kakashi's eye widened and he thought just one word:

'_Awwwwwww shit!_'

(break)

"Whoooooweeeee!!!! What a thick meeest! We don't ever get a fawg dis bad 'round dese parts!" the sailor shouted as he navigated the small boat through endless white fog. Kakashi and Tazuna were sitting near the sailor, Hinata was using her Byakugan to help with navigation, Sasuke was mumbling about illiterate country hicks, and Naruto was leaning over the boat trying not to puke.

"Aww, is Hokage-sama seasick?" asked Sasuke in the fakest sweet voice one could muster for a person they hated.

"FUCK YOU UCHIHA!!!!" Naruto shouted as he flipped the raven-haired ninja the bird. The sailor turned to them and said:

"'Ay you two young'ins! Keep it down! If Gatou-sama finds us, we good as dead! Why you thank we ain't usin' dat dere motor? Don't worry boys. We'll be in da country soon 'nough." The sailor then turned to Tazuna and said, "We ain't been spotted as of yet Tazuna-sama, but I think we should take da path wit' all da plants jus' ta be safe." Tazuna nodded his approval.

(break)

"Here we is! Dis be as far as I goes, Tazuna-sama. Good luck and may Izanagi bless you peoples," the sailor said as Team 7 and Tazuna got off of the boat. They watched as he turned around and sailed off into the mist.

"Ok, my home is only two miles north. Hopefully, the fog will keep up until we make it there," Tazuna said. The team began walking off toward the forest.

The deeper they roamed into the forest, the thicker the fog grew. Everyone drew closer to each other, just in case a rogue ninja tried to take advantage of their limited vision. Naruto could feel someone watching him, but his energy sensing skills were below average at best. He and Kyo hadn't much time to practice it before they left for Nami [**1**].

'_I might not be able to see, but I can smell better than any ninja hound and hear better than a blind samurai!_' Naruto thought. The odor of sweat and seawater hit Naruto's nose. He detected the source several meters to his immediate right. Naruto quickly flung a shuriken into the bushes on his right.

"Naruto! What are you doing?" Kakashi shouted. Before Naruto could reply, he picked up a faint buzzing noise. Naruto couldn't figure out what was producing the noise until it got louder.

"Everyone drop! A fucking sword's coming at us!" Naruto shouted. Everyone hit the dirt quickly, and a gigantic meat cleaver embedded itself in the tree on their left. A man materialized out of thin air, standing on the cleaver's handle. He wore white striped pants and grey, camouflage army gloves. His mouth was wrapped in bandages, similar to how Kakashi's mask covered his own face. He had short, spiky black hair and, oddly, no eyebrows.

"Long time, no see, Borutagin (_Silver Bolt_)[**2**]. Last time I saw you, I was a second away from gutting you like a trout. Then again, you weren't much older than these runts you're with," the man said.

"No doubt, I've gotten better since then. I hope you can handle—" Kakashi vanished and appeared an instant later right next to the man. "—my speed, Momoichi Zabuza!" Kakashi swung his left hand out and was easily blocked by Zabuza. The two ninja leapt away from each other.

"This is my fight! You guys stay away from him! He's way too tough!" Kakashi shouted.

"Wow, you actually care about your teammates now. When we last fought, you could care less about them, especially that Uchiha boy. Has he gone and gotten himself killed yet?" Zabuza inquired.

"No, Obito is quite well. But you still like changing the subject when fighting your prey," Kakashi stated. He moved his hand up to move his headband up so his eye would be visible. This action revealed a pure white eye, similar to a Hyuuga eye.

"See, when we last fought, I hadn't taken part in the Saiyou Buzoku Ritual (Adopted into the Clan Ritual). Now, I am a member of the Namikaze Clan!"

Zabuza's eyes widened and he shouted, "You don't mean—"

A blue dot appeared in the middle of Kakashi's eye and began to rotate until it formed a spiral. The spiral grew larger until it was as large as Kakashi's other pupil.

"I now possess…the Kaiten Me (_Rotating Eyes_)[**3**]!" Everyone, excluding Naruto, was shocked that Kakashi possessed the powerful Dojutsu. Naruto smirked as he thought:

'_Once I have it, I'll definitely become the Hokage!_'

_**Patience, kit. You need to focus on surviving this mission.**_

"Hey, dobe. What's a Kaiten Me?" Sasuke asked. Naruto smirked a smirk that would make Sasuke proud and replied:

"The Kaiten Me allows the user to move at speeds no ninja can. By feeding chakra through your eye to a focal point in your direct line of vision, you can get a turbo boost to that location."

Zabuza chuckled and replied, "What's more, the Kaiten Me dramatically increases the reaction time of the user. Kakashi would be able to, in theory, deflect any attack I throw at him."

"Heh, it's no theory; I can deflect whatever you throw at me. Come at me," Kakashi coolly stated. Zabuza flipped and grabbed his cleaver, then vanished. He appeared on a nearby river, and shouted:

"Ninpou: Kirigakure no Jutsu (_Ninja Technique: Hidden Mist Technique_)!" A larger blanket of fog encompassed the team, completely blocking their vision.

"Be on alert! He'll come after me first since I'm the largest threat. Zabuza is an expert in silent killing. You won't notice until you're already dead," Kakashi stated.

"_**Eight choices: kidneys, brain, liver, lungs, clavicle vein, neck vein, heart!**_" A sudden burst of killing intent engulfed them as well. Sasuke seemed to be affected by it the most.

'_This ki is extremely dangerous! I feel like I'll be killed for the slightest movement. I'd almost rather save this freak the trouble and do it myself!_' thought Sasuke.

"Guys, don't worry! I'll give up my life to defend you!" Kakashi shouted. He turned his head toward the general direction of his squad. "I don't allow my comrades to die!"

Zabuza finally revealed himself. He materialized in between Hinata and Sasuke, behind Naruto, and in front of Tazuna. Zabuza grabbed his cleaver and swung at Tazuna. Kakashi appeared out of nowhere and deflected the blade with his kunai. Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke marveled at the silver-haired Jonin's strength. Naruto could smell seawater and sweat coming directly at Kakashi's rear.

"Behind you sensei!" shouted Naruto. Kakashi turned around, but it was too late. With one horizontal slash, Kakashi was cleaved in half. Suddenly, the two halves released static electricity and stunned Zabuza. Kakashi ran from Zabuza's immediate left and grabbed a wooden handle from his flak jacket pocket. A blade of pure white chakra poured from it. The blade hummed as it touched Zabuza's neck.

"That was fast, eh Zabuza? I win," Kakashi stated. Naruto began laughing and shouted:

"That's my big brother! You rock guy!" Zabuza began chuckling, and then burst into a maniacal laughter.

"You win? If you honestly thought I would lose so easily, you're an idiot! I haven't even gotten started!" he screamed. Then, like a passing storm, Zabuza's burst of insanity passed. "Speed alone doesn't win a battle.

"Although, I must admit, you're something else. You created a lightning-infused Kage Bunshin and used it to save Tazuna. You were able to detect that I had yet to attack, and you determined I would try and cut you in half. Thus, I would be zapped and you'd be able to subdue me."

Kakashi spat and said, "If only you could have figured this out sooner."

"Actually," Zabuza began. His body became liquid, and Kakashi gasped in shock. "I did!"

Zabuza materialized behind Kakashi and swung his cleaver at him again, this time aiming for the neck. Kakashi used his speed to drop to his hands and knees. Zabuza's cleaver embedded itself in the ground, causing him to lose his balance. Kakashi capitalized on this by launching himself at the stunned ninja. Zabuza recovered quickly and kicked the Leaf-nin in his chest. Kakashi sailed through the mist and landed in the river.

"He's so strong! C-C-Can Kakashi-sensei beat him, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked. Naruto sniffed and listened for his brother, but nothing. Suddenly, the sound of air bubbles hit Naruto's ears. Kakashi slowly rose out of the water.

'_This water's really heavy…wait! It's infused with chakra!_' Kakashi came to this revelation too late. Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi and shouted as he completed his hand seals.

"Suiton: Suiro no Jutsu (_Water Release: Water Prison Technique_)!" he shouted. The water in the river formed an airtight orb around the shocked Kakashi. Zabuza thrust his hand into it and shouted, "I've won!

"Trying to escape the river was your downfall. By coming up for air, I was able to contain you in my prison! If you had stayed in Otafuku Gai a little longer, you would have known I broke Gouzu and Meizu out of jail. They told me about you and I planned accordingly. Speed can't beat the power of a strong tactical mind!

"And don't think about trying to escape with your Kaiten Me. The water is surrounded by a disrupting layer of chakra that will prevent you from escaping."

Zabuza made a hand seal after finishing, and a clone rose from the water in the river. He turned to his creator who said, "Take care of the old man and the brats. Then," he turned to Kakashi, "I can finish what I started twelve years ago."

The clone walked slowly, but purposefully, toward Naruto and crew. "You runts…wearing Leaf headbands as if that makes you one of me. But you're not! You're just brats playing dress-up! What makes you a real ninja is staring death in the face and telling him you won't be subdued by him!

"I'll consider you brats ninja…when you're strong enough to be placed in my Bingo Book!" The clone vanished into the mist. Naruto began sniffing around for his scent, desperate to protect his squad. He caught a hold of it too little, too late. The clone kicked Naruto square in the face, knocking him into a nearby tree.

"Naruto-kun! I'm coming!" shouted Hinata. She activated her Byakugan and charged the clone. The clone jumped over her, and with one well placed roundhouse kick to the base of her neck, knocked Hinata out cold.

"Naruto! Sasuke! Grab Hinata and Tazuna and run! As long as I am in this prison Zabuza can't move, and his clone can't go but so far from his body!"

"Fuck out of here!" shouted Naruto. He had risen to his feet with determination in his eyes. "I ain't running scared anymore! I won't look like a weakling in front of you anymore!" Naruto grabbed the hilt of the Ierokitsune and unsheathed it. Zabuza viewed the blade with reverent awe.

'_Oh. My. Fucking. Kami. Is that…the Ierokitsune? I thought it was a mythical weapon!_' thought Zabuza.

"You're going down!" Naruto shouted. Raising the blade above his head, Naruto released a primal war cry, similar to a howl, as he charged the clone.

"Fucking idiot," the clone mumbled. With lightning-fast agility, it grabbed its blade and swung it. The force of the two blades connecting was so forceful, sparks jumped from the point where their blades connected and the Ierokitsune was knocked out of Naruto's hand. It sailed through the mist until it buried itself in the dirt in front of Sasuke. The clone then punched Naruto in his chest, sending the Kitsune in the same direction of his blade. Naruto hit the ground with a loud thud and slowly rose to his feet. He yanked the sword out of the ground and began limping toward the clone.

"Hey you fucking eyebrowless freak. Put this in your Bingo Book. The man who will one day be Hokage…Leaf Village Genin…Namikaze Naruto!"

"You've got balls, runt. I might not kill you," the clone replied.

'_He's not even scared! All I've done is sit here and cower like a little girl. I refuse to sit around any longer!_' thought Sasuke. "Oy! Naruto, come here. I have an idea," the raven-haired Genin shouted to his blonde counterpart. Naruto ran to him and the two began whispering to each other. After a few minutes, Naruto turned and shouted:

"Let's get wild!"

"Real arrogant runts you have here Kakashi," Zabuza said. "But can you back your arrogance up?"

"That's enough!" Everyone turned and looked at Tazuna. "It's my fault you all are in this mess! I've forgotten my nindo…I will allow you to take me to Gato, Momoichi Zabuza," he said. Kakashi couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"No, get away Tazuna-san! You need to finish the bridge!" Kakashi shouted.

"Gramps, shut the hell up! Naruto and I got this," Sasuke replied. Naruto smiled and tightened his headband. Zabuza stared at the two Genin in awe and began laughing.

"You two runts need to grow up! All you are are little kids playing dress up! By the time I was your age, my hands were permanently died red from blood! Do you know I got the name Kirigakure no Oni?" Not waiting for a pause, Zabuza continued.

"Long ago, my home, Kirigakure no Sato, was known as Kiri no Ketsueki (_Hidden Mist of Blood_). There was one final obstacle in the way of young kids like yourself who wanted to become Genin. The boys I forged childhood bonds with…the girls I fell in puppy love with…I was forced to kill them all [**4**]! The fucking Mizukage gave us katanas and locked us in a large warehouse. He pit us against each other by threatening to wipe our clans out. I-I-I still see their faces!" Zabuza shouted with anguish.

"One hundred of 'em. I killed a hundred students, and my clan was still wiped out! I trained every day since then to become strong enough to kill that man. But I failed! I fled the country and began working for Gato.

"But the past is the past. I've sold my soul, and I'll live in my sin until I die and meet Shinigami. But I won't go there today!" The clone launched himself at Sasuke, elbowing the Uchiha and flinging him into a tree. Then, it followed him and punched him rapidly against the tree. The clone let Sasuke fall to the ground and reached for his cleaver. "Die punk!"

Naruto quickly made hand seals and shouted, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (_Shadow Clone Technique_)!" Twenty Narutos appeared on the battleground. "Here we come!" they shouted in unison. They jumped on top of Zabuza, and Sasuke crawled away from him.

"Urahhhhh!" shouted Zabuza as he released a burst of chakra that sent the clones flying. All but the real Naruto disappeared. As he was flying through the air, he reached into her bag and tossed a Fuuma Shuriken to Sasuke.

"Kage Shuriken no Jutsu (_Shadow Shuriken Technique_)!" Sasuke tossed the large shuriken at the clone.

"Bah, a damned shuriken will never beat me!" the clone shouted. Just before the shuriken could connect, it spun around and changed directions, heading straight for the real Zabuza!

"Quite smart, aiming for the guy holding your sensei," commented Zabuza. He thrust his arm out and grabbed the weapon. "But not quite enough!"

Zabuza happened to look down to see a second shuriken heading toward him! The shuriken suddenly exploded in a plume of smoke. Naruto leapt out, brandishing the Ierokitsune, and cut straight through the prison holding Kakashi. Like a bubble, it burst and both Kakashi and Naruto fell into the river. Not wasting a minute, Kakashi materialized in front of Zabuza.

"Mind if I cut in?" he asked, killing intent wrapped all in his voice. "Great job Naruto, Sasuke."

"You runts forced me to release my jutsu. I'm quite impressed. I won't call you runts anymore. From now on, I'll address you as Naruto-san and Sasuke-san. As for you Kakashi, you still haven't gained my respect," Zabuza stated.

Kakashi growled and said, "Allow me to gain it!"

The two ninja leapt away from each other and began making hand seals."Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu (_Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique_)!" Two massive, liquid dragons rose from the river. They roared and assessed their opponent before rushing at each other head first. Water fell over everyone, blinding and obscuring their vision.

Kakashi stroke first, using his white chakra saber to slice Zabuza down his chest. Zabuza got a lucky punch in and sent Kakashi rolling across the ground. The silver-haired Jonin quickly made his way back onto his feet and held his hand out in front of him. "Suiton: Hahonryuu (_Water Release: Destruction Rapid Torrents_)!"

Kakashi charged at Zabuza as the palm-sized orb of spiraling water formed in his hand. Kakashi vanished, then materialized in front of the shocked Zabuza. With one thrust to the chest, Zabuza became swallowed by a massive whirlpool that launched him through the forest for several meters. Zabuza collided with a large oak tree so hard he became lodged in the bark of a tree.

"Guess me and Shinigami are gonna get real personal, eh Kakashi-sama?" Zabuza weakly stated. The missing-nin began coughing and regurgitated blood.

Kakashi walked up to him and reactivated his saber. "For what it's worth, you were a great opponent," Kakashi stated.

"You were always a sentimental bitch, Kakashi-sama. Get it over with, Kakashi-sama," Zabuza replied. Kakashi raised his saber in preparation to slit the eyebrowless man's neck. Suddenly, two senbon became embedded in Kakashi's neck. The silver haired Jonin dropped to the ground, unconscious. A figure appeared next to Zabuza and freed him from the tree.

"Let's go Tou-san!" The two missing-nin vanished in a swirl of fog. Naruto and Sasuke ran to Kakashi and began shaking him.

"BIG BROTHER!" Naruto howled, anguish evident in his voice. As Naruto howled in pain, several foxes in the forest howled back with equal anguish, saddened that their brother was hurt.

Next Time: _My brother is dying! How are we gonna beat Zabuza and that girl if we don't have a sensei!_

_Never Die Alone! The Tenacity of the Leaf Village!_

(break)

Get ready to see some Kyuubi training in the next two chapters!

Kakashi's nickname. I had to create a new nickname for him since he doesn't have the Sharingan.

The Kaiten Me is a dojutsu that increases the speed of the user. The jutsu is exclusive to the Namikaze Clan. It does a great deal more than what was shown here but I, uh, dunno what yet lol.

I changed Zabuza's backstory for a reason you'll see further on down the story.


	8. Nami no Kuni II

_Soul Swap! The Ancient Sensei! [__**1**__]_

* * *

As the mist began to rise, a young woman with long, beautiful raven hair walked onto her porch, looking off into the forest. Stress seemed to be etched all over her face. As the mist thinned more and more, the woman could make out four figures running straight for her. The woman grabbed the kunai she kept hidden in her dress sleeve, expecting Gato's men to finally come for her. The men came closer until the woman could recognize one of them. It was Tazuna and crew!

"Father! You've re

* * *

turned!" she shouted. The woman leapt off the porch and ran to the older man. He was carrying a silver-haired ninja across his shoulder.

"Tsunami! I need your help! We need to prepare the basement! This man's heartbeat is weak and erratic. He risked his life to save me!" Tazuna shouted. It was then that the woman noticed that one of the boys with her father was carrying a pale, dark-blue haired girl.

"What about the girl, Father?" Tsunami asked as they rushed in the house. The blonde kid carrying her shouted:

"Hinata-chan's got a concussion, but she's fine!"

As they reached the basement, Tsunami leaned over and grabbed the senbon lodged in Kakashi's neck. Naruto stayed upstairs with the girl while a Sasuke sat in the corner and watched.

"Once I remove the senbon, he's gonna bleed like no tomorrow. Dad, I need u to apply pressure on the wound to lessen the bleeding. This will be close; his jugular was pierced." Tsunami made hand seals and whispered, "Ninpou: Shosenjutsu (_Ninja Art: Mystical Palm Technique_)!"

Tsunami's hands started glowing with green energy as she began to heal Kakashi's wound. "Whoever did this did serious damage. I'll be here a while." Tsunami pumped more chakra into her palms to intensify the energy going into him. Sweat formed on her brow as the energy left her body and flowed into Kakashi's.

'_I hope I can save him!_' thought Tsunami.

* * *

Hours had gone by, and Naruto had yet to hear any good news concerning Kakashi. Hinata had now awoken and was trying to get the pacing Kitsune to sit down.

"N-N-Naruto-kun, Kakashi-sensei is a strong man. H-H-He'll make it," Hinata said.

"Well, what if he doesn't? Then dad will blame me for Kakashi dying! I always get blamed!" Naruto shouted. At that moment, Sasuke peeked his head past the basement door.

"Guys, sensei is awake," he said. Naruto tore past Sasuke, nearly knocking him down the stairs. Hinata and Sasuke followed after him and viewed their sensei laying on a futon. His flak jacket was draped along a chair. His neck was covered in a weird, green, glowing, bandage-like object. Tazuna was standing over Tsunami, who was laying on a futon across from Kakashi.

"Big brother! Are you ok?" Naruto asked as he bombarded the older man with questions.

"Naruto! Enough! You're fussing like an old woman," Kakashi said. "Besides, when we're on a mission, you have to address me as sensei or captain.

"Now, you guys I won't be on my feet for a week or so. Lord Hokage had the foresight to see that I might be incapacitated in a battle, so he created this. Tazuna-san, can you go into my right breast pocket and pull out the red pouch?"

Tazuna leaned over to reach for the flak jacket. After a brief moment of rummaging, the old man produced the pouch. "Now what?" he asked.

Kakashi coughed and then replied, "Would you mind taking out a candy and eating it [**2**]?" Tazuna did as he was told.

"Blech, that tasted like crap! What's that supposed to—ARGH!" Tazuna grabbed his chest and began to spasm uncontrollably.

"What did you do to him?" Hinata shouted at Kakashi.

"It's complex. Long story short, I sealed his soul away so another can inhabit it. Now Naruto, would you mind eating one?" Kakashi asked.

"Hell fucking no! I don't wanna die like the old man is!" Naruto shouted.

"Well, you could eat the candy and switch bodies with Tazuna…or he could go into cardiac arrest and die: your choice," Kakashi replied nonchalantly. Naruto contemplated it for a minute before picking a candy out of the bag and eating it.

"Ughhh, this does taste like shi—FUCK!" Naruto swore as he too began to spasm. Suddenly, both Naruto and Tazuna became deadly still. A white orb materialized in front of Tazuna; a red orb materialized in front of Naruto. The two orbs flew into the body of the two men. Naruto was the first to awaken.

"Ugh, my head hurts and I have a super weird craving for Fukidemono [**3**]," Naruto groaned.

"As to be expected. Because two souls inhabit your body, and yours is the dominant one, Tazuna is just inhabiting your body until I can bring him back," Kakashi answered.

It was at this point that Sasuke decided to speak up. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! What the hell is going on here?" he shouted. "If Naruto just woke up and he's not Tazuna, then who did Tazuna become?"

At that exact moment, Tazuna sat up and looked around. "_**Ugh, my skull hurts,**_" the old man groaned. Sasuke and Hinata were shocked at how deep, foreboding, and royal his voice had become.

"Sensei, what's going on?" Hinata asked, confusion and fear evident in her voice.

"Everyone, meet Kyo," Kakashi stated nonchalantly.

"_**Ugh, this body is so old. And its chakra network is so screwed, I cannot even perform basic justu,**_" Kyo said. He stood up and stretched. The sounds of joints cracking filled the basement and Kyo doubled over in pain. "_**MY BACK!!!**_" he howled.

"Until I'm healed up, Kyo will train you guys so that when Zabuza returns, we can kill him," Kakashi said. "Any questions?"

"Yeah, just one," Sasuke asked. He pointed at Kyo and shouted, "Where the hell did he come from?!"

Kakashi sighed and said, "I can't say. It's SSS-Class information that only members of ANBU know. If I told you, I could be executed for treason.

"Anyways, you guys better get started. Who knows when that psycho's coming back?"

"Heh, you guys are idiots!" Everyone turned at the new voice. A young boy was staring at them. He had on a yellow and black fisherman hat, a yellow shirt, and green overalls. Naruto began fuming at the boy's statement.

"Show us some respect! We just saved your grandpa's life!" Naruto shouted. The boy snorted and shot back:

"You got lucky! Gato's gonna kill you all! There's no way you'll win against him."

"Inari, that's enough!" Tsunami shouted.

Naruto stomped his feet and replied angrily, "You little brat! I'll…" Naruto's rant was cut short when Hinata placed her arms around him.

"H-H-he's a kid, Naruto-kun. Just ignore him," she whispered. Naruto just looked at Inari with anger and disgust before turning his back to the boy.

"Listen kid, we're the best ninja in the world. I promise to you that Gato won't be able to handle us," Sasuke said. Inari look at Sasuke incredulously.

"Pfft, what are you guys dead in the head? Heroes don't exist out here! If you were smart, you'd run back to your village. But then again, you guys don't seem so bright," Inari said. The boy turned and began walking out of the room. "I'll be in my room looking at the ocean, mommy." With that, he exited the room.

* * *

Naruto was heading to the bathroom to take a long awaited pee break. He walked past a room and heard weird noises. The blonde Kitsune walked to the door, which was slightly ajar, and saw Inari leaning against the window, crying. He was clutching a picture to his chest. Sadness swallowed Naruto whole as he watched the boy cry. Naruto backed away from the door and headed to the bathroom. He felt…bad for how he acted.

* * *

Team 7 and Kyo walked out to a dense grove of trees. Kyo was lagging behind a bit. It was difficult for the emperor to get used to the extra weight of Tazuna's body. Naruto jogged to Kyo and asked:

"Getting old, eh gramps?"

Kyo snorted and said, "_**Please! This body is decrepit and full of sake. It is amazing this was once a feared ninja.**_" They reached a small clearing with tall trees around the perimeter.

"_**Ok, Sasuke and Hinata, you will be learning about chakra control. While you two do that, Naruto and I will be working on a jutsu,**_" Kyo ordered.

"Wait, why does Naruto get to learn a new technique? And we can already use jutsu," Sasuke said.

"_**Because Naruto already knows how to do this. Could you demonstrate how to control your chakra, kit?**_" Naruto looked at one of the large trees and walked to it. Instead of stopping, he placed his feet on the tree and began walking up like it was regular earth. Naruto soon made it to the top of the tree and stood upon the very fine point that made its top.

"_**You two are not using chakra properly. To use chakra, one must mix the exact amount and type of their spiritual and physical energies. Even if you have high chakra reserves, if you don't blend it well, your jutsu will not be as effective or not work at all. Thus, you waste energy and tire in battle faster. To learn how to mix your energies is to climb trees without your hands,**_" Kyo said.

"That seems kinda difficult, Kyo-sensei," Hinata replied.

Kyo laughed, albeit it sounded more like thunderclaps, and said, "_**All your doing is gathering chakra into your feet, and then walking up the tree.**_"

"I still don't understand how climbing the tree is going to make me stronger," Sasuke replied.

"_**You will learn how to control your chakra. In order to climb the tree, you will have to bring up the proper amount of chakra to walk up the tree. Too little and you will fall off; too much, the wood will crack from the pressure. The bottom of the feet is the most difficult place to channel chakra so if you can channel it there and in a constant stream, you can control the flow anywhere else.**_"

Kyo pulled two kunai out of Tazuna's pack and tossed them to Hinata and Sasuke. "_**Use these to mark your progression,**_" he said. "_**Come one Kit! We have business to attend to!**_" With that, the two kitsunes walked away.

* * *

Kyo and Naruto came to a clearing a few kilometers away from Sasuke and Hinata. Kyo held his hand up to stop and turned to his younger counterpart. The older Kitsune inhaled deeply before saying, "_**Give me the Ierokitsune.**_"

Naruto pulled the majestic weapon out of its sheath and gave it to his sensei. The old man viewed the blade the way a jeweler would a diamond. He swung it a few times, as if trying to get accustomed to it. "_**Ah, the blade is still as light as a feather.**_

"_**Anyway, the technique I am going to teach you is Bijutsu: Onichishuuha (**__Demon Arts: Demon Blood Wave__**)[**__4__**]. Observe,**_" Kyo said. He turned his back to Naruto and bit his thumb, drawing blood. Kyo made hand seals and drew his bloody thumb along the black blade. The blade began to glow with a red light, and Kyo raised the weapon above his head. "_**Bijutsu: Onichishuuha!**_" Bringing the blade into a downward arc, a massive, red crescent of yokai burst forth from the blade. Naruto could only stare in awe as the crescent vaporized everything in its way for several hundred yards until the crescent ran out of kinetic energy and faded.

"Oh. My. Kami," Naruto murmured with reverent awe.

"_**The trick of the technique is to use your demonic blood as a medium to channel your energy. You will know when you have enough energy when your blade glows with the color of your yokai. Then, raise the blade and swing vertically or horizontally for the energy to come out in a destructive arc,**_" Kyo explained.

"Woah! I'll be able to destroy anything with that technique!" Naruto shouted.

Kyo chuckled and replied, "_**Sorry to burst your bubble, kit, but I can do that because I have had thousands of years of experience with yokai. You only have three months worth of training. You should be able to cut halfway through that tree,**_" Kyo said. He pointed to a large oak tree to Naruto's right. Naruto began to pout at this news.

"_**Chin up, Naruto! In a thousand years, you should be just as powerful as I am!**_" Kyo shouted. He turned and began walking toward Tazuna's house.

"Hey! Where are you going gramps?" Naruto shouted.

"_**To take a nap. Using yokai in this body takes its tool. So ta-ta, farewell!**_" Kyo shouted as he walked back into the dense tree grove.

"Ok, time to get to work!" Naruto shouted as he began the technique.

* * *

Sasuke flipped off of the tree after marking his place. He had only gotten about a quarter of the way up the tree, and he had been at it for about seven hours! Sasuke looked over to Hinata, who had gracefully landed next to him after making it halfway up her tree. At that point, Kyo had walked into the clearing. He looked up at the tree and saw the progression of both Genin.

"_**Wow! Hinata, you are doing good. It took Naruto a week to get that far,**_" Kyo remarked. "_**As for you, Uchiha,**_" Kyo began, disdain evident in his voice [**5**], "_**You are pathetic. You have twice as much chakra as the girl, and yet you can't control it! You're a disgrace to your clan!**_" Kyo turned his back on the raven-haired boy and began walking back to Tazuna's house.

Sasuke roared and charged the old Kitsune. He flipped over his head and swung his leg out. Kyo, with amazing speed, grabbed Sasuke's leg and tossed him like a rag doll into a tree. Said tree slowly fell over.

"_**Get back to work!**_" Kyo shouted as he walked back into the house.

* * *

Zabuza was laying in bed, much like Kakashi, groaning from the unbelievable pain he was in. A young girl with long raven hair was tending to his wounds. Her face was obscured by a white hockey mask. She wore the typical Kiri Hunter-nin outfit.

"Tou-san, you should have taken me with you. My speed would have matched Hatake-san's," the girl said as she manipulated the water in her basin to raise out and spread the water over the large cut on his chest. She made hand seals and whispered, "Suiton: Mizuchiyu (Water Release: Healing Waters)[_**6**_]!" The water glowed green, and Zabuza's wounds were slowly but surely healing.

"No, I don't want you getting hurt. And Gato still doesn't know you exist. It's for a reason dear," Zabuza said. Footsteps filled the hallway leading to Zabuza's room. "Quick! Hide!" In an instant, the girl was in the secret compartment in the wall of the room. Gato burst into the room with his two most trusted bodyguards, Waraji and Zouri.

"Heh, looks like the Kirigakure no Oni got sent back with his tail between his legs!" Gato spat. "I guess it's true what they say: Kiri produces the weakest ninja in the land! You can't even avenge Gouzu and Meizu! And you call yourself a demon!"

Gato nodded at Waraji and Zouri. They began unsheathing their katana and walked toward Zabuza. Suddenly, the girl leapt from her secret compartment and launched herself at Waraji. She rapidly kicked him in the face, with the final kick launching him into the nearby wall. The girl landed then spun on her heels, using the momentum of her spin to kick Zouri in the face. The bodyguard slammed into his buddy.

"Oho! It seems like you were holding out on me Zabuza!" Gato said as he eyed the young kunoichi. "That ninja get-up is hiding her curves. It's ok though; I like being left to wonder." The short man moved toward the girl, but Zabuza's humongous blade embedded itself in the floor before him.

"**Stay away from her! She's my whore! [**_7_**]**" Zabuza screamed. Gato fell to the floor and scrambled to get away from the enraged missing-nin.

"I-I-I'm sorry! Geez, whores come a dime a dozen! And remember who pays your bills!" Gato shouted. Waraji and Zouri had gotten to their feet and unsheathed their katana. "No! Zabuza is still of use to me!" Gato shouted. "I'll give you one last chance. You will kill Tazuna and his ninja bodyguards. And I'm sending Gouzu and Meizu as back-up. Rest easy Zabuza." Gato turned to the girl and said, "When you get tired of fucking him, you should come to my palace. I'll show you how a real man gets things done!" With a maniacal chuckle, Gato and his guards left the hideout.

Zabuza was fuming in anger from Gato's comments. He turned on the girl and screamed, "I told you to keep your ass hidden! Why wouldn't you listen?"

Haku trembled and averted her eyes from Zabuza's gaze as she replied, "I thought you still couldn't move Tou-san! I just wanted to protect you!"

Zabuza sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm sorry musume. You know how Gato is. Now he'll try and steal you away. And if I kill him, the other Kages and daimyos will be alerted and we'll be on the run again," said Zabuza.

Suddenly, both Haku and Zabuza shuddered as they felt a massive, dark, chilling energy encompass the land. Zabuza turned to Haku and said, "Go to the source and find out where that energy is coming from. It may be Kakashi-sama's reinforcements." Haku nodded and made a hand seal. Her body began to crack and shatter like glass.

Zabuza limped to the bed and grabbed his ribs as he howled in pain.

* * *

Sasuke slouched against his tree as he looked at his progress. '_Damn it! I'm only ¾ of the way there. Hinata's almost there,_' the raven-haired avenger thought. It was true: Hinata could reach the top with one last push.

Hinata channeled her chakra and rushed the tree again. '_I can't fail here!_' thought Hinata. She ran up the tree, moving around branches. Sasuke could tell she was exhausted by the fact that she was unsteady and wobbly. Just before Hinata reached the very top, she slid off the tree and plummeted toward the earth. She screamed as the green grass drew nearer and nearer to her. Sasuke leapt out and grabbed Hinata. The two rolled across the grass until they came to a stop with Sasuke on top of Hinata.

"U-U-U-Um S-S-S-Sasuke, c-c-c-can y-y-y-you m-m-m-move?" stammered Hinata.

Sasuke smirked and replied, "Sure thing Hinata-chan." Sasuke got off of the blushing girl and began walking to Tazuna's house. "I think we should get some food. Are you coming with me?"

All Hinata could do was blush as she trailed behind the cocky boy.

* * *

Kyo sat in front of Kakashi, apparently asleep. Kakashi was staring at the Kitsune with a pensive look.

"_**You want to know how the kids are doing, eh?**_" Kyo asked, never opening his eyes. "_**Hinata has made the most progress. She has already made it about 98% of the way up the tree. She may have the lowest amount of chakra in her body, but she has the most control.**_

"_**Sasuke is coming along. He has a lot of potential, but as we both know, emotions like anger and hatred significantly weaken the potency of one's chakra. At least, if you do not know how to control it. I have no doubt that the boy is not going to be a valuable asset to you if he doesn't learn how to channel his rage.**_

"_**Naruto has the most potential. He has already been able to produce a yokai wave after only a day. It took me a week to learn. I think Naruto may be able to master the technique by the end of the week.**_"

Kakashi looked at the Kitsune and replied, "I was just looking at that huge zit on your…er, Tazuna's face."

* * *

At supper, silence encompassed the room. You lnow, the awkward kind that follows when your drunk uncle burps really loud at Thanksgiving.

Naruto and Sasuke were eating massive amounts of food to replenish their diminished chakra reserves. While everyone was eating their crab and rice, loud pounding filled the room.

"I'll get it," Tsunami said as she excused herself from the table. After a few moments, a middle-aged man walked into the dining room.

"Giichi-san is here, uh, father," Tsunami said. She kept looking between Kyo and Naruto, unsure where her father was.

"Tazuna-sama, I'm so sorry, but I have to quit working on the bridge," Giichi said. Everyone turned to Kyo to see how he would respond.

"_**Uh, why?**_" Kyo asked.

"What do you mean why!" Giichi shouted. "Gato knows who you are now! It's only a matter of time before he figures out who's helping you! Jade and little Hayori need their father! You're on your own from here on out!" With that, Giichi marched out of the house.

"That was Giichi. He used to be in the Council of Clans here. He was ten when Tsuchi invaded, a young Genin. Father saved him and his mother from being killed. He was one of the few people who didn't trust Gato right off the bat. Giichi used to have the most hope about us all being free. But if he's lost hope, maybe we all should," Tsunami said, whispering the last sentence.

Hinata looked up from her plate and noticed a torn picture on the wall.

"Um Tsunami-san, why do you have a torn picture on your wall? It seems like a bit of a waste of that nice frame," Hinata said. The awkward silence in the room grew stronger. Hinata, embarrassed that her statement caused such a downturn, kept her eyes on her half-eaten food.

"It was my husband, Ryoushi Kaiza [_**8**_]. Kaiza was a missing-nin from Kirigakure no Sato. He came to our village to start a new life free of the Sandaime Mizukage's oppressive reign," Tsunami started. Inari got out of his seat and walked out of the dining room. "Inari! Where are you going?" Tsunami shouted after him. The boy didn't answer; he just kept walking.

Tsunami sank into her seat, sorrow etched across her face. "When Kaiza was alive, Inari would smile, laugh, make silly jokes, you know, be a young boy. Kaiza became very popular throughout the village. He even saved us all from dying in a flood. Soon, Kaiza was made our daimyo. And then, Gato came.

"I doubt father told you this because it was too painful for him to speak about. Gato…that bastard…he ripped off Kaiza's arms and crucified him! The Council wasn't impressed with Gato; he used fear to get their votes!

"And Inari changed. Kaiza promised him that he would protect us with his own two arms. When Inari learned how Kaiza died, he disowned him and called him a liar. Inari stopped believing in heroes."

Naruto stood up and grabbed his sword. He began walking to the front door. "Oi! Naruto-ototo, where are you going?" Kakashi asked. Naruto stopped and looked at Kakashi with determination. "I'm going to prove to Inari that heroes really do exist!" he shouted as he left the house.

* * *

Naruto had been deep in the forest for six days practicing the Onichishuuha. He had finally been able to maintain the wave until it reached the target. Now, it was a matter of adding enough force to cut through the tree. The sun hung in the middle of the sky and Naruto was famished. He hunted rabbits and ate that, but with the larger prey being closer to Gato's compound, Naruto thought it would be wise not to go there. The blonde Kitsune slumped against a tree, exhausted and hungry. Not surprisingly, his eyes slowly closed.

Meanwhile, a girl with long, flowing, lustrous raven hair was walking through the forest. Her face was pale and beautiful; her eyes were a deep shade of obsidian. Her body was curvy, quite uncommon for a girl so young. Her pink kimono was very bright, a sharp contrast to the paleness of her skin. The girl was pick herbs and noticed Naruto sleeping. She walked to him quickly and stared at his hitai-ite. The girl reached out to touch it, but instead got a rude awakening.

Naruto leapt up and grasped her neck. He slammed her into the ground and held his sword an inch above her neck. "Who the hell are you?" Naruto half-asked, half-growled.

The girl shivered in fear and replied, "M-M-My name is Haku. I was just picking some herbs to help my father. He's really sick." Naruto looked at her and snorted.

"Let's be serious. You could have easily avoided my hand. You're faking!" shouted Naruto.

Haku's eyes widened and she replied, "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Like oranges," Naruto said. "Your hair smells like oranges, just like the girl who attacked my brother!"

Haku smirked and said, "Guess I can stop faking!" Haku made a hand seal and said, "Kawarimi no Jutsu (_Body Switch Technique_)!" Haku vanished and was replaced with a log. Naruto began sniffing, hoping to catch her scent. Naruto finally did, two seconds after she kicked him across his face. This repeated itself for about five minutes before Naruto hand enough.

Naruto gripped the hilt of the Ierokitsune and shouted, "Bijutsu: Onichishuuha (_Demon Art: Demon Blood Wave_)!" A Naruto-sized yokai wave launched itself into the clearing. Haku screamed in shock; the crest had cut the ends of her lower back length hair. Naruto kicked her hard in her stomach and placed the tip of Ierokitsune against Haku's neck.

"What do you want from me?" Naruto shouted. His eyes were becoming slitted and turning yellow.

'_What is this guy?_' Haku thought. "I was walking along the forest and saw you so I thought I would eliminate you. You look like a doofus, so you can't have any valuable information."

"Oh yeah? You just got beaten by this doofus!" Naruto shouted. Haku simply rolled her eyes and turned her head away from Naruto. The events of Kakashi's battle replayed through Naruto's mind; the last five minutes of the battle seemed to constantly replay, as it would had it been on a scratched DVD.

"I should kill you now!" Naruto roared.

"Go ahead and try. I have someone who's important to me—to important for me to die and leave 'em all alone!" Haku shouted.

Naruto snorted and replied, "Who, Zabuza? He's a hired gun who doesn't know right from wrong!

"You're wrong!" screamed Haku. "Tou-san loves me! I know he does!"

Naruto gasped in shock at the affection in Haku's voice. "Tou…san?" Naruto murmured.

"Pfft, I didn't expect you to understand. You're a ninja trained by emotionless killers. You probably don't even have friends!" Haku shouted. Naruto thought about all the people who he cared about—Hinata, Kakashi, Kiokure, Kiba, Choji, Shikamaru, and his uncle[_**9**_]—and his face softened.

"You're wrong. I have people I love and would die and kill for them. Which is why you have to die! I won't let you kill my precious people!" Naruto shouted. A sharp pain erupted throughout Naruto's body, the point of origin being his nether regions.

"See you later numb nuts! I have a report to give!" Haku shouted as she vanished in a swirl of leaves. Naruto slowly got on his feet, clutching his lil' buddy. He looked at where he launched his jutsu and saw the tree was cleanly split in half. If he had hit Haku, she would have been too.

* * *

'_999,997…999,998…999,999…1,000,000!_' thought Kakashi as he finished his last one-finger push up. '_I'm back to full strength!_'

"Well, I think it's time you get back to where you belong, Kyo-sama," Kakashi said.

The old Kitsune sighed and replied, "_**And just when I was getting used to being fat and full of sake. Oh well, beam me up Kakashi![**_10_**]**_" Kakashi pulled a pouch out of his pocket and pulled out a blue pouch. He hand Kyo the candy and watched as he ate it. A red ball of light escaped his chest and he collapsed on the ground. The ball went flying out into the forest. After several minutes a grey orb came at breakneck speed and collided with the soulless body before Kakashi. Tazuna, finally back in his body, shot up, gasping for air and clutching his chest.

"That was super weird…I need my Fukidemono," Tazuna said.

* * *

Hinata made a hand seal and watched as the water in the lake near Tazuna's house began to ripple. Hinata concentrated as hard as she could, but whatever she was doing would not work. Finally, the pale girl gave up.

'_I'm sorry okasan. I still haven't been able to master your legacy,_' Hinata thought as she walked to Tazuna's house to prepare for their journey to the bridge.

* * *

Sasuke stumbled to the lake Hinata was just at and stared at the pool. '_Argh! It's just red! I have to get this right or I might die!_' he thought.

* * *

Zabuza stared at the apple in his hand. He hated fruit and was mad Haku made him eat it all the time. With a quick squeeze, the fruit exploded in his hands.

"Otasan, how many times do I have to tell you not to play with your food?" Haku sarcastically quipped. Zabuza rolled his eyes.

"Teenagers," he murmured. Zabuza stood up and grabbed his cleaver. He began walking toward the door, but stopped and said to Haku, "Hey…you coming or what?"

Haku's eyes twinkled and she smiled like a Cheshire Cat. "Yay! Thank you otasan!" She hugged Zabuza and kissed him on the cheek before they walked out of the hideout together, ready to go to war.

* * *

Next Time: _It's time. The final battle between us and the missing- nins is about to begin. Run Inari! Gather your people!_

_Rallying Cry! The Wave's Rebellion!_

* * *

1- I had originally had a different premise for this chapter, but decided against it. Hence the change in title. I was going to have Kakashi fighting for his life and Naruto going out for revenge, but I scrapped the idea in favor of this chapter. I prefer character development to action.

2- I borrowed the idea from Bleach. I thought it'd be cool to have Kyo teach all three of them instead of just Naruto. And also, Kakashi, in my opinion, shouldn't have been able to be moving around to train anyone right away.

3- Tazuna's preferences rubbed off on Naruto due to the Soul Gummy.

_4- Bijutsu: Onichishuuha (_Demon Art: Demon Blood Wave_):_ A Bijutsu that releases a destructive arc of yokai. It's a common technique in the Demon Realm. An experienced demon like Kyo can vaporize targets with this move, while less experienced demons like Naruto can split trees in half with the move.

5- You'd be bitter if you had to train an Uchiha. Especially since one made you do horrible things. The relationship between Kyo and Sasuke will become an important aspect later on.

6- Suiton: Mizuchiyuu (_Water Release: Healing Waters_): A Jonin rank medical Ninjutsu that infuses healing chakra into water. The jutsu allows the water to diffuse healing chakra throughout the target's body faster than other medical jutsu.

7- I got the basis of this idea from a Bible story. Abraham (father of the Jews) and his wife Sarah were in Egypt and the Pharaoh became romantically interested in Sarah. Abraham lied and said Sarah was his sister (not a whore like Zabuza) so the Pharaoh wouldn't kill him.

8- New Character Bio (_Ryoushi Kaiza_): Ryoushi Kaiza was a Jonin from Kirigakure no Sato. He graduated from the Academy the year before the Deathmatch Tests were initiated. Kaiza was an extremely skilled ninja, probably as powerful as Kakashi Hatake. Kaiza took part in the coup d'état of the Sandaime Mizukage. He ultimately failed to kill him and was forced to flee for his life. He chose Nami no Kuni, a small, relatively unknown nation, where he could live his life in peace. He married Hashi Tsunami and birthed a son, Ryoushi Inari. When Gato oppressed Nami, Kaiza choose to be a martyr rather than display his abilities and bring Kiri to the villiage, who would have undoubtedly killed his small family.

9- Notice I didn't add certain people…

10- Can you tell I saw Star Trek exactly 22 times?


	9. Nami no Kuni III

Red-volpe- Thanks for that man. That kinda bugged me too when I was reading the manga that Haku looked like a girl but was a boy.

Narutos Vixen- It takes a while but eventually it'll become that. And Sasuke is cold and heartless, especially toward Naruto. So coming onto Hinata is really more of a way for him to hurt Naruto more…but who knows? Real feelings may be there…

* * *

_Rallying Cry! The Wave's Rebellion!_

* * *

Team 7 was rushing through the forest to get to the bridge. Naruto's nose was going into overdrive, searching for Zabuza or Haku's scent. Now that Team 7 was fully informed about Haku and her abilities (truthfully all Naurto could tell them was that she was ridiculously fast), they were all (well the Genin) extremely anxious. Naruto picked up an odd scent he couldn't place heading toward Tazuna's house.

'_Hey, Kyo-sensei, do you know what this smell is? I never smelled something like this before,_' Naruto telepathically replied to the aging Kitsune.

_**Hmmm…it is not so much an odor as it is an…emotion**_.

'_Huh?_'

_***Sigh* Since you are a Kitsune, you have the ability to detect emotions through your nose thanks to the small, constant stream of yokai that flows to the Oniseki [**_1_**] located there. The emotion you smell now is…lust and malevolence.**_

Naruto's eyes widened. Someone was about to hurt Tsunami and Inari! Naruto broke rank and about-faced. He took off toward the house.

"Oi! Where are you going Naruto?" Kakashi shouted.

Naruto turned and shouted, "I forgot something!"

* * *

Team 7 and Tazuna, sans Naruto, arrived at the bridge. They were a bit surprised to see all the workers unconscious. Tazuna rushed over to a burly man who was bleeding profusely from his skull.

"Hikaru, what happened!" Tazuna shouted.

"Mon…sters…" the man groaned before passing out. Suddenly, maniacal laughter filled the air; mist settled in around them.

"It's time…_**for my vengeance!**_"

_

* * *

_

Inari walked through the hallway to the bathroom, where his mother was taking a shower. "Mommy, I'm hungry!" Inari shouted so his mother could hear him over the din of the running water.

"Mmmm…so are we kid," a voice said behind Inari. Waraji and Zouri were standing in the hallway, the front door neatly sliced into pieces. The man who spoke before, Zouri, said, "I wonder…just how tasty your mother is?"

"Stay away from my mom!" Inari shouted.

Zouri laughed and replied, "Waraji, shut this brat up!" The wild-looking ronin unsheathed his blade and kicked the small boy through the door. Tsunami shrieked in fear as Inari rolled across the bathroom floor. Zouri ripped the curtain back and was met by a powerful punch to his chest.

"Mhmhm, I like them feisty!" Zouri jabbed Tsunami in the face with the hilt of katana. "Hey Waraji! Wanna have some fun?"

Waraji chuckled and replied, "Sure. It ain't like Gato won't give us the bitch after 'e's done and I 'ate getting a bitch after the other 200 guys 'ad 'er. [_**2**_]"

Zouri smiled cruelly at the cowering, nude woman and said, "you won't enjoy this; we will."

"_**Enjoy this!**_" Zouri spun around and was knocked off his feet by a powerful punch. Naruto landed, then leapt off the ground and kicked Waraji in the head. The blonde Kitsune grabbed Inari and Tsunami and flipped back to the doorway. "_**Stay back!**_" he shouted. Naruto unsheathed the Ierokistune and bit his thumb.

By this time, Waraji and Zouri had gotten back to their feet. "Look Zouri! The kid wanna play samurai wit' us!"

Zouri chuckled and said, "You don't know who you're fucking with kid!"

"_**Bijutsu: Onichishuuha!**_" Naruto shouted. He pumped yokai into the sword's midnight black blade and swung down. A large, yellow crescent split Waraji in half from the waist up. Zouri looked at his fallen comrade in shock and spun to look at Naruto. He turned too little; too late to defend himself as the obsidian blade removed his head from his body.

Naruto turned and sheathed his blade and ran toward the window he came in. "Naruto wait!" The blonde Kitsune turned to see Inari. A smile, a genuine smile, stretched across his face. "I'm gonna get the rest of the villagers! You'll need all the help you can get!"

Naruto smiled and gave the boy a thumbs up. "You got it kid! I gotta hurry back, though. I have a bad feeling about this," Naruto said as he leapt out the window.

* * *

"Long time, no see, Kakashi-sama," Zabuza said. Kakashi couldn't see him; the mist was too thick. "I see you're still working with those brats. Hehehe, look at the boy, he's shaking!"

Sure enough, Sasuke was trembling. Suddenly, Zabuza, Haku, Gouzu, and Meizu appeared before them. "Now, Sasuke!" Sasuke leapt toward Gouzu and powerfully kicked him in the neck, crushing his esophagus.

Meizu swung at him with his gauntlet, but Sasuke leapt over him, kicking the Chuunin in the face and breaking his nose as he flipped. Upon landing, Sasuke grabbed the back of his head, and with all his might, brought his head down, the sickening sound of a snapped neck filling the otherwise quiet morning air.

Sasuke turned around and leapt toward Haku, making several hand seals, then screaming, "Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu (_Fire Release: Grand Fireball Technique_)!" Just before the attack came, Sasuke spun around and roasted Zabuza with the attack. Sasuke clicked his heels and spun around as a blade came from the heel of his sandals. He slit Haku's throat and landed in front of Kakashi.

"Now stop screwing around!" Sasuke shouted as the bodies dissolved into water.

"Wow!" Zabuza shouted as he and crew came into view. "You've grown a lot Sasuke-san. You saw through my clones." Zabuza turned to Haku. "Looks like you have a rival in speed, Haku."

"Indeed, father," Haku replied.

"Fight the boy Haku," Zabuza said as he grabbed the hilt of his cleaver. "Gouzu, Meizu, fight the girl…try not to die. And don't help me under any circumstances. I have a bone to pick with Kakashi-sama."

Haku struck first, moving almost too fast to see and swinging at Sasuke's neck. Sasuke swung with his own kunai at almost equal speed. The two weapons struck each other with such force, sparks jumped from the point where they met.

* * *

Gouzu and Meizu swung their gauntlets at Hinata, who deftly dodged and thrust her palms out to strike them. She missed, but forced the two Chuunin to move away from her.

"Damn bitch! Stay still" Gouzu shouted.

"Shouldn't you be playing with a doll or something little girl?" Meizu shouted as well.

"Byakugan!" Hinata shouted. The veins leading to her eyes bulged out slightly and Hinata got into a Juken stance. "Don't mistake me for a little girl who can't defend herself. I am your worst nightmare!"

* * *

Kakashi and Zabuza stared each other down. Zabuza held his blade in front of him; Kakashi activated his White Chakra Saber.

"It doesn't have to be like this Zabuza-sama," Kakashi said. "I know you have good deep down in you somewhere. Help us to defeat Gato and I promise you I can get you asylum in Konoha!"

Zabuza chuckled and replied, "There is no asylum for me! My soul has been permanently stained black!" He leapt high into the air and, releasing a primal war cry, brought his blade down to bear on Kakashi.

* * *

Sasuke was locked in combat with Haku as they exchanged rapid slashes with each other.

"You may as well give up. I have two advantages that will assure your death," Haku said as she and Sasuke struggled to gain the upper hand.

Sasuke smirked and replied, "Oh really? And what would those be?"

"One, when you destroyed the clones, water covered the bridge. And two," Haku paused as she knocked Sasuke's kunai out of his hands. She stood on the tips of her toes and took a ballerina's pose. Then, she spun and kicked Sasuke in his face rapidly. She stopped spinning and punched him in his stomach. She moved her hand above her head to stab Sasuke in the top of his, but the Uchiha moved his hand in time to receive the stab. He watched in horror as the kunai ran through his hand completely.

"Like I was saying, two is that I can make hand seals with only one hand. And with your other hand useless, you can't defend against my jutsu!"

Haku began making her seals with one hand, much to Sasuke's amazement. "Sensatsu Suisho (_Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death_)!" Haku shouted. The water on the bridge rose into the air and formed one thousand senbon needles.

"It's unfortunate things had to turn out this way. I've never met a boy who was as powerful as you…and as good looking," Haku said. If it wasn't for the mask or the mist, you could see her blushing. She raised her arms and brought them down. The senbon charged Sasuke with such speed, it would appear the boy would get ripped to shreds.

All Sasuke did was smirk. Haku could feel his chakra spike, and watched in amazement as the Uchiha leapt high into the air, dodging every needle. Eight shuriken made their way toward Haku, who leapt back eight times. She dodged each shuriken and flipped over a crate. A ninth shuriken hit her hair and embedded itself in the crate. Haku crashed onto the top of the crate and struggled to free herself. Sasuke landed on top of her and held a kunai to her neck.

"This ends here!" shouted Sasuke.

* * *

Hinata rolled across the ground, trying to catch her breath. Gouzu and Meizu were weak individually, but it was hard for her to disable them on her own.

"You may have beaten me on your own before, but you can't handle us can you?" Meizu shouted.

Hinata cursed then replied, "It shows how tough you are if you need your big brother to help you fight a 'little girl'!"

Meizu growled in anger and charged at Hinata again. Hinata flipped over him and kicked him twice in the back of his head. Upon landing, Hinata narrowly avoided having her flesh torn from her face by Gouzu's gauntlet. She thrust her palm into his stomach, knocking him back. Thanks to her Byakugan, she could see that Meizu was running toward Tazuna.

"Oh no you don't!" shouted Hinata. She made a quick chain of hand seals and then shouted, "Suiton: Nechinechihaji no Jutsu (_Water Release: Sticky Hold Technique_)!"

The puddle of water that Meizu stepped on suddenly became very sticky. His foot wouldn't move from the puddle and, when you add the speed he was running and gravity, he crashed into the ground with a loud thud.

Gouzu had by now recovered and rushed Hinata. The Hyuuga heiress spun around and attempted to strike him again, this time aiming for his heart. Gouzu, miraculously, grabbed Hinata's wrist, stopping her palm just short of its mark. Hinata flipped and kicked Gouzu in his temple. The Chuunin ripped his hand away, tearing the girls wrist and cutting the veins there. Hinata simply switched to her left hand and thrust at Gouzu's heart again. She was successful this time, killing him instantly.

"Gouzu!" shouted Meizu as he finally freed himself from the glue trap. Hinata collapsed to the ground as blood poured profusely from her wound. "I'm gonna kill you bitch!" The angry Chuunin screamed as he leapt to the downed Genin.

* * *

Kakashi and Zabuza stood back-to-back as they struggled to catch their breath. They had just been locked in a fierce Kenjutsu battle and were preparing to get serious.

"Last chance Zabuza-sama," Kakashi began. "I'm a member of the Namikaze Clan now, which runs Konoha. My clan head is the Hokage! I can practically roll out the red carpet for you back home!"

"Your petty promises mean nothing to me!" Zabuza replied. "Fight or die, Hatake-sama!" And the two went at it again.

* * *

Haku flipped her body over so that she was lying on her back. "Mmmmm…so soon? We've only just met!" Haku kneed Sasuke in the groin, but was met with a nasty surprise. The Uchiha had used Kawarimi to switch with a cinderblock, and Haku nearly broke her knee before she realized. On said cinderblock were several explosive tags, which soon detonated.

Sasuke grabbed a kunai and swung to his immediate right. Haku, who managed to get free and escape, blocked by using the bracelet on her wrist. She ducked just as a shuriken zoomed by where her neck was. Sasuke took advantage of this by kicking her in the face, and cracking her mask. Haku rolled across the bridge and came to a stop near a guard rail.

"I guess I should get serious, huh cutie?" said Haku as she made a hand seal. "I hardly ever have to use my secret jutsu. Makyo Hyosho (_Demonic Ice Crystal Mirrors_)!"

The water around Sasuke rose into the air and began to form 21 large mirrors. Haku walked into the mirror directly in front of her and suddenly appeared in every mirror.

* * *

"What the hell?" shouted Kakashi as he leapt toward the frozen dome. Zabuza appeared before the silver-haired Jonin and swung for his neck. Kakashi bent over backwards to dodge the slash.

"Don't forget who your opponent is," the missing-nin said. "Besides, the boy is doomed. No one ever survives Haku's secret technique!"

* * *

"I can show you my real speed now!" shouted Haku as she picked out a senbon from her pouch. Twenty other Haku's appeared in the mirrors and all flung their needles at Sasuke so fast he had no time to guard against it.

"It seems you really are no match for me," Haku said.

Suddenly, a massive plume of smoke appeared helping to further obscure everyone's vision. "Dundundundun! The Leaf Village's #1 Ninja! Namikaze Naruto is here!"

Sasuke sighed and said, "That bonehead!"

* * *

Meizu was coming down from his jump, ready to impale Hinata with his gauntlet. A powerful kick knocked him off the bridge, into the waves below. Naruto landed next to Hinata and bent over her.

"Hinata!" Naruto shouted as he leaned over the dying girl. Tears began to fall from his eyes.

_**Kit, keep crying! I can help her!**_ A spike of yokai came through Naruto's eyes as his tears turned red. _**Sakeme no Kitsune**_ (_Tears of the Kitsune_)[_**3**_]_**!**_ One of the red tears splashed on Hinata's wrist and her body became covered in a shroud of red yokai.

'_Kyo-sensei! What the hell did you do?_' Naruto shouted telepathically. _**Healed her…really tired…night mother…**_ Naruto sighed as the ancient Kitsune fell asleep. He stood up and viewed the battle. Zabuza and Kakashi were locked in a fierce Kenjutsu battle; Haku had just formed some kind of weird ice mirrors around Sasuke.

'_Oniisan will be fine fighting Zabuza. He's almost as good as Hayate when it comes to Kenjutsu. *Sigh* Guess I have to save the queen of emos,_' Naruto thought.

Naruto ran over to the mirrors and shouted, "Yo! Sasuke! Are you alive?"

"No, you fucking dobe. I died and I'm drinking sake with Kami. What do you think?" Sasuke shouted.

"Very funny. What is this thing?" asked Naruto.

Sasuke put his hand on his chin as he sat up and said, "It's her kekkei genkai. She's using clones in the mirrors to throw needles at me at high speeds. But what I don't get is why she uses the mirrors in the first place? I figure if I attack from the inside and you attack from out there, we can shatter the mirrors and disable the jutsu."

"What did you say? I kinda fade to black when you talk," Naruto said. Sasuke whipped his head around and was dismayed to see the blonde Kitsune sitting right next to him.

"*Growl* YOU FUCKING MORON! WHY WOULD YOU COME INTO THE DAMN MIRRORS?!?!?! DO YOU WANT TO DIE SHITHEAD?!?!" Sasuke screamed.

"HEY, HEY, HEY!!! FUCK YOU [_**4**_]!!!" Naruto shouted back.

Haku stared at the arguing Genin incredulously before saying, "Do you two want a room? Boys, I like being the center of attention. Maybe I should redirect your attention!" Haku walked into the mirror directly in front of Sasuke.

'_Ok, that's the real one! Time to bust it open!_' Sasuke thought as he pulled a kunai out of his pouch.

"I'm over here!" Sasuke spun around to see Haku in the mirror directly behind him. More Hakus appeared in the mirrors and Sasuke began sweating.

'_Which one is the real one?_' Sasuke thought frantically. He began making hand seals and shouted, "Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu!" Sasuke exhaled a massive fireball which quickly consumed the entire dome. Sasuke released the jutsu, and to his horror, the dome was still in perfect condition.

"If you were maybe a Jonin, you might have melted the ice. But come on, if you want the prize, you're going to have to try harder sweetie," Haku said with a hint of amusement. She made a signal, and all of the Hakus tossed their senbon at the two boys.

"Ugh, my leg won't move!" Naruto shouted. "I'm gonna find the real one! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (_Shadow Clone Technique_)!"

"What makes you think I'm using bunshin? You won't be able to follow me with your eyes, no matter how many eyes you conjure," Haku said.

The Narutos launched themselves at the mirrors, kunai in hands. Haku leapt out of a mirror and, faster than the naked eye, destroyed every clone and kicked Naruto back down to the bridge.

"My jutsu uses the reflective qualities of the ice to transport me from mirror to mirror. It's almost like I slowed down time!" Haku said smugly.

Naruto slowly rose to his feet. His vision was blurred and blood was pouring from the gash on his head. '_Wait! The jutsu only works if the ice can cast a reflection!_' Naruto made a hand seal and muttered something under his breath. Twenty-one Narutos appeared inside the dome.

"Pfft…I give you an A for being tenacious but you're a dumbass if you're gonna try this again," Haku said.

"Charge!" Naruto shouted as his 21 replicas launched themselves at the mirror. Haku again moved to another mirror and destroyed all the clones. Instead of disintegrating into smoke, the clones transformed into orange goop, which covered all but one mirror. Haku leapt out of that mirror and stared at Naruto incredulously.

"What the hell kinda jutsu was that?" shouted Haku.

Naruto snickered and said, "I created that jutsu! I call it Hedoro Bunshin no Jutsu (_Slime Clone Technique_)!"

Haku smiled underneath her mask and said, "That's a pretty useful technique. Too bad you're going to die here; I would have liked to learn it." Haku grabbed a senbon needle and prepared to throw it at Naruto.

"Wait!" shouted Sasuke. "If I die here, I die; I accept that. Answer this for me: do you possess a kekkei genkei?"

"Yes. My birth clan, the Shojoaisu Clan [_**5**_], could create Hyouton (Ice Release) Chakra without any extra effort. It came natural to us. My clan was very small; it only consisted of my mother and father. During my childhood, Kirigakure no Sato became embroiled in a civil war. The Sandaime Mizukage issued an order that all clans possessing kekkei genkai were to be exterminated. Many powerful clans were slaughtered simply because they were different.

"My father was not of our clan by birth, only through marriage. He didn't know about our power, nor did I. My mother wanted us to survive the war.

"One day I was playing by the stream outside our house and I froze it. My mother made me swear to never do that again.

"My father was a heavy drinker and would beat my mother. One day he beat her so bad she died. He learned our secret and tried to…tried to…kill me! I lost control and covered the entire house in ice! He died and I was the cause!

"I ran into the mountains because I feared the Mizukage's ninja would find me. And that was how I met Tou-san."

* * *

_Haku was running as fast as her little legs could carry her. A team of ninja had been pursuing her for hours. The only reason she had managed to evade them so far was the fact that she could squeeze into crevices they couldn't._

_Finally, Haku had come to the end of the line; a large lake stood in front of the young girl. Haku didn't know how to swim, and even if she did, she knew the stronger ninja would outswim her. Within moments, the ninja arrived._

"_You little bitch! You should have stayed still! I would have given you a painless death," one ninja screamed. Haku surmised he was the captain because his jacket was a different color than the other ninja. "However, I'm going to make sure you die slowly!" _

_The "captain" pulled his katana out and walked toward the girl. Suddenly, a man appeared out of nowhere and stood between the "captain" and Haku._

"_What do you think you're doing, Lieutenant Hakujou? She's a child," the man said._

"_You know the Mizukage's orders, Captain Momoichi! All freaks like her are to be exterminated on sight!" Lt. Hakujou shouted._

_Zabuza stared at the man straight in his eyes. Lt. Hakujou backed away a little, but it was clear he wasn't about to change his mind. _

"_I see you won't make this easy on me," Zabuza said. He grabbed the hilt of his cleaver._

"_You can't be serious! Capt. Momoichi, you're a member of the Kiri Shinobigatana Nananin Shu! You're one of the—GACK!" Zabuza silenced the captain by stabbing him in the chest with the blade. With a primal war cry, Zabuza launched himself at the rest of his squad._

* * *

_Zabuza dipped his blade in the lake to get the blood off of it. After being pleased with the state of his cleaver, he walked over to Haku, who was cowering in fear._

"_It's ok, little girl. I'm going to protect you. Don't fear me," Zabuza said as he walked to the girl._

"_No! Stay away!" Haku shouted. Zabuza leapt out of the way as the landscape behind him became enshrouded in ice._

"_Hey, look! I'm dropping the sword ok?" Zabuza said as he dropped his blade. He slowly walked toward Haku and kneeled to her. He pulled his mask off and smiled at her. "I'll protect you…uh, what's your name?"_

"_It's Haku," she said. Suddenly, she collapsed in Zabuza's arms._

* * *

"I understand you now," Naruto said. Haku looked at him in amazement. "I want to become the Hokage so I can protect my big brother and my friends. I have people who mean something to me, people who are—"

"Precious," replied Haku.

Naruto smiled and said, "Yeah, my precious people."

"Do you understand why I have to kill you? I can't risk allowing you to go free. You'll hunt after us until we're dead," Haku said quietly. Haku grabbed her senbon and prepared to throw it.

* * *

Zabuza and Kakashi were staring each other down again, panting from fatigue. The bridge bore signs of their swordfight and both men's shirts were torn.

"I'm done reasoning with you Zabuza! I see that I have to end this now!" shouted Kakashi as he began to activate his Kaiten Me. Zabuza leapt to him and swung his cleaver down. Kakashi brought his saber up to defend himself.

"Geez, Kakashi-sama. All you do is use your Kaiten Me. Can't you do anything else?" Zabuza said as the two struggled to gain ground over the other.

"I can do plenty more. You're just not worth it," Kakashi replied.

"A Shinobi who has to repeatedly use his supreme technique most not be much of a ninja," Zabuza said. He kicked Kakashi in his stomach and sent the silver haired Jonin into the bridge's railing. Zabuza made a quick set of hand seals and gripped the hilt of the cleaver.

"Ninpou: Chakrashuuha (_Ninja Art: Chakra Wave_)[_**5**_]" Zabuza shouted as he swung his blade rapidly. Blue waves of energy materialized and transverse the gap between Zabuza and Kakashi. The silver-haired Jonin blocked every wave that came toward him.

Zabuza leapt up again, blade raised high above his head. Suddenly, the missing-nin swung his left foot out and kicked Kakashi square in the jaw. The Leaf-nin flipped over the railing and fell into the waves below.

Zabuza laughed and turned toward Tazuna. Hinata was still covered in the red yokai and unconscious. Tazuna held a hammer in his hand and slowly backed away from Zabuza.

"I was once a Jonin of Namigakure no Sato! I won't die without a fight!" the old bridge master shouted.

"Oh, I don't care about all that. So long as you…_**die!**_" Zabuza shouted as he rushed the old man.

* * *

Sasuke unsteadily stood before Haku. Bruises covered his arms and face from defending himself from Haku's attacks. Naruto lay on the floor; a well-placed senbon to the neck left him unable to move his body.

"I'm curious. You've managed to evade all the mortal injuries I've tried to place upon you, but you can't evade any non-lethal attacks. Why is that?" Haku asked.

"Because I have a technique I'm working on and it's almost complete," Sasuke weakly replied. He closed his eyes and gave a small smile.

Deciding to have some fun, Haku said, "You know, some people may be able to hide their emotions in their face or in the language of their bodies, but no person can hide what's in their eyes?"

Sasuke smirked and replied, "So what do my eyes say!" He opened his eyes; they were red with a black tomoe in his left eye and two in his right.

Haku was so shocked, she was unable to protect herself from the raven-haired Genin's right hook. Her mask cracked more, then shattered, revealing her beautiful face.

"It's not complete, but I can keep up with your speed now!" Sasuke shouted.

'_Damn…my jutsu ate up most of my chakra, and my speed dwindles more the longer I use it. I'm going to have to end this now!_' Haku thought. She pulled out her last few senbon and took off in full sprint to Naruto.

"Shit!" Sasuke shouted. Naruto stared wide-eyed as the beautiful girl was closing the gap between them.

Sasuke leapt in front of Naruto, kunai drawn. He and Haku exchanged swipes before she kicked the kunai out of Sasuke's hand. Haku kicked him up into one of the mirrors. She leapt up and rapidly kicked him in his chest. Grabbing him by his collar, Haku smashed him into every mirror at the top of the dome before slamming him into the ground.

Haku landed on the ground and began walking toward Naruto. Sasuke rolled onto his back and flung a shuriken at the girl. Haku spun around, grabbed the weapon and flung it back at Sasuke. The boy was unable to defend himself, and the sickening sound of a shuriken contacting with human flesh filled the air. Sasuke stared at the ninja star sticking out of his chest. He looked over at Naruto, who was staring wide-eyed at the weapon, and smirked.

"All you ever *cough* do is *cough* get in the *way*," Sasuke choked out. Naruto stared at Sasuke in shock. Tears began to fall down the Kitsune's eyes. "What's *cough* with the tears *cough*? Little *cough* bitch."

"You saved me. Why?" asked Naruto as the tears began to fall faster.

"I hate you *cough* and you hate me. But you're still *cough* my comrade, and that makes you *cough* worth dying for," Sasuke said as his fell back and he closed his eyes.

'_He's a better person than me. If she was going to attack him, I would have let him die,_' Naruto thought as he began sobbing.

'_**That's right. Give in to your anger. Let that anger be the drive that allows you to kill her!**_' said the same voice that made Naruto run away.

Naruto opened his eyes; they were slit like a fox's and pitch black. "_**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**_" Naruto roared as his hair turned black. All over his body, black fur began growing. Claws burst from his hands as Naruto hunched over and stood on all fours. A snout seemed to grow out of Naruto's face and he howled with such ferocity, the ice mirrors shattered into billions of piece.

"_**Yo**_**u will die! Sasuke didn't deserve to die! So I will take your life as payment!**" Naruto roared as he leapt to Haku. The girl rolled out of the way and rushed the Kitsune. He roared and slapped her with his massive paw. Haku flipped into the air and landed hard on her back. Naruto leapt into the air and brought his claw down to decapitate her. Haku rolled out of the way in the nick of time and watched the black claw plunge through the bridge. Naruto stomped on Haku's stomach and raised his claw again. Just before he could gouge her neck out, a massive blade got in between Haku's neck and Naruto's claw.

"Stay away from my daughter!" Zabuza shouted. Naruto simply looked at Zabuza and swatted him away with his free paw. He turned to Haku and roared again.

"_**Die!**_" he shouted as he prepared to strike Haku again.

"Naruto, don't do it!"

Naruto turned his head and saw Hinata leaning against the railing. Her wrist healed but she was still breathing heavily.

"You're better than this! You're better than them! Don't kill her!" Hinata shouted.

"_**She killed Sasuke. She dies!**_" Naruto shouted. "_**Don't you see? If I don't kill these monsters, they're gonna keep killing!**_"

"The only monster I see is you!" Hinata shouted. Naruto looked at a large piece of broken ice and could see how he looked. The Kitsune cringed in fear and roared again.

"_**I am not a…MONSTER!**_" Naruto shouted as he dispelled the evil black yokai. Naruto sank to his knees in exhaustion, and his eyes shut. Suddenly, chuckling could be heard through the mist. A short man in an expensive suit appeared from the mist.

"You ninja provide great amusement! I should have hired you to be my pre-nightly entertainment!" he said with a chortle.

Zabuza scrunched his face up in disgust. "Why are you here Gato?" he shouted.

"You failed me again! You and your bitch were about to die!" the short man shouted. "That demon would have killed her, and the Jonin would have killed you if I didn't send some men below the bridge to deal with him.

"You're too much of a pain in the ass. An expensive pain in the ass. Men, $200,000 to whoever brings me Zabuza's head!" It was at this moment that more forms began to appear in the mist. Zabuza cursed and made a hand seal.

"Kaihou (_Release_)!" The fog began to lift and hundreds, if not thousands of men stood behind Gato. They all brandished swords, clubs, staffs, maces, and any other form of death they could find.

"Kids, meet Gato's Guntai no Chiheihi (_Army of One Thousand Bandits_)," Zabuza said as he picked up his cleaver. Haku shakily stood on her feet as Gato laughed.

"Please, you two are exhausted. My men will rip you to shreds!" Gato shouted.

"Haku, you can release the Genjutsu now," Zabuza said. Haku made a hand seal and a bright light blind Gato and his men. When the light dimmed, Gato was shocked. The bridge showed no signs of a struggle. Sasuke was sitting on a crate with not a scratch on him. If it weren't for Naruto being unconscious and Hinata stills truggling to catch her breath, Gato wouldn't have believed he witnessed a brutal fight.

"Wha…wha..wha..what the fuck?" Gato shouted.

"Thank Kakakshi Hatake. Last night, I met him in the forest and we worked out the details of this plan. I no longer desire to be your assassin. In exchange for asylum in Konoha, I help Kakashi capture you.

"Try and follow this if you can. The first step was having Haku tail you to see how long of a window we had to get Kakashi and his brats here. Once they arrived, Kakashi informed them of the situation. We had a bit of a wrench thrown in the plans when you made me bring Gouzu and Meizu.

"So the plan changed. We had to eliminate those bumbling idiots before they ruined everything. And we did. Haku here killed them long before we arrived. Then she lured two of your bandits out to the bridge, where Kakashi used a Genjutsu to convince them they were Gouzu and Meizu.

"Hinata here had to fight them to make it look real, and because Naruto-san didn't arrive here with the rest of the group, he walked into the jutsu. Thus his fight with Haku.

"I'm just fine and Kakashi should have finished off the men. With both us not fatigued at all, we should be able to handle your bandits!" Zabuza began making a long string of hand seals. Suddenly, Kakashi leapt out of the water, making the same hand seals.

"Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu (_Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique_)!" They both shouted. Two massive, dragons burst from the water and slammed into the bridge, killing about half of the bandits. Kakashi landed on the bridge and made more hand seals.

"Shuuhabakyu-mu (_Vacuum Wave_)!" he shouted. He thrust his fists out and an invisible wave of chakra knocked another hundred bandits into the sea.

Zabuza grabbed his blade and, with the most insane look he could conjure up, rushed a large group of scared bandits. Within minutes, another hundred ninja lay slain at Zabuza's feet.

The surviving 300 bandits were cowering with fear. Gato groaned in annoyance and shouted, "You're never gonna catch me! Quick back to the submarine!"

On cue, a large submarine burst out of the sea. Gato and his men turned to get on the vessel. Suddenly, a man appeared out of nowhere, making hand seals.

"Katon: Karyu Endan no Jutsu (_Fire Release: Flaming Dragon Missile Technique_)!" A massive stream of fire came forth from his mouth and melted the side of the submarines hull. Tazuna recognized the man right away.

"Giichi! You made it!" the old man shouted.

"Not just me old man! All of us!" the younger man shouted back. Tazuna turned around to see Inari and hundreds of the villagers standing behind him.

"Inari?!"

The boy smiled as he held his crossbow and shouted, "Attack!" The villagers, brandishing their weapons, charged Gato and the remaining bandits. It was a sight to see; disembowelments, decapitations, cut off limbs, and other forms of brutality made even Kakashi divert his eyes. Soon, the number of bandits dwindled down to 150, 75, 30, 15, and finally none. Only two villagers died from the battling.

"Oh, fuck this shit! I'm outta here!" Gato shouted as he tried to make a run for it. Haku grabbed Zabuza's blade and took off in full sprint for the fleeing dwarf.

"This is for trying to molest me!" screamed Haku as she caught up to him and removed his head from his body. And with that the Battle for Namigakure no Sato was finally over.

* * *

Two weeks had gone by and with the help of Haku and Zabuza, the bridge was completed much earlier than expected. Nami no Kuni was still without a daimyo, but the people were in no rush to elect a new one. Celebrations of independence were constantly occurring throughout the nation.

It was the day that the ninja planned to head back to Konoha, and a festival was being held in their honor.

Tazuna pulled Kakashi aside and said, "I have a proposition for you."

Kakashi raised his eye and said, "I'm listening."

"I've been elected as the new daimyo of Nami no Kuni and, as you know, we're struggling since Gato sapped us of everything. I want to send Giichi to Konoha as our ambassador to work out a treaty between us."

"I don't see why not. A Nami-Konoha alliance would be welcomed by Lord Minato. He is your friend," Kakashi stated.

"That's not all. I want to send Inari, Giichi's daughter Jade, and Suichuu Nagare [_**6**_] to Konoha so they can be trained in the ninja arts and come back to Nami and train future generations. My plan is to make Namigakure a ninja village once more," Gato said.

"I don't see why not," said Kakashi.

"I have a job cut out for me. Building bridges is one thing, but building a nation? Not quite what I'm used to. But if I remember the Nami no Nindo (_Way of the Wave Ninja_) correctly, I must persevere so long as the waves continue to roll across the sea. My people need me, and I need them," Tazuna said.

Kakashi smiled under his mask and put his hand on the older man's shoulder. "By the way, what is the name of the bridge?"

"Hmm… Bridge Seven works for me," Tazuna said. The two men enjoyed the festival in silence. No more words needed to be said; the spirit of joy filled the air and settled the souls of all there.

* * *

Next Time: _It feels good to be back home! Whoa! The Chuunin Exams are coming up! And I get to take it! I'll prove to everyone I'm gonna be Hokage!_

_Pre-Exam Jitters! The Chuunin Exams Beckon on the Horizon!_

* * *

1- The Oniseki is similar to the Eight Chakra Gates. Once the Nami no Kuni Arc is over, you'll get a nice in-depth explanation.

2- Sorry if I offended any one with the usage of the word "bitch." I hate when it's used in reference to women but I felt that in this circumstance, it would help display just how disrespectful people can be.

3- Sakeme no Kitsune (_Tears of the Kitsune_): A Bijutsu that converts the destructive power of yokai into healing energy. The then converted energy is sent to the eyes and expelled through tears. One tear is said to have the power to revive the dead. Only flesh wounds and pains are healed; things like exhausted chakra doesn't change. The technique is normally a double-edged blade; the user usually exhausts themselves to the point of near-death. Very few demons are capable of using this technique. The fact that Kyo used this technique and merely slept through the battle is a testament to his power.

4- I borrowed that line from _Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay_. That movie was almost as funny as _Superbad_.

5- Ninpou: Chakrashuuha (_Ninja Art: Chakra Wave_): A Kenjutsu similar to the Onichishuuha. It is nowhere near as powerful and requires less energy. Unlike the Onichishuuha, it can be fired in rapid succession.

6- New Character bio (_Suichuu Nagare_): Nagare is a young boy who can often be seen hanging with Inari. He comes from the three great clans of Namigakure no Sato. His name means underwater current.

A/N: Sorry if that plan Zabuza and Kakashi came up with was a little confusing. Caffenine and ice cream.......so you understand lol

A/N 2: This was probably my largest update. Twenty-one pages of pure writing! Happy 4th of July to everyone!


	10. Chuunin Exams I

Shingen Takeda 1521- I know you aren't gonna be happy with this, but…while I will eventually get the two together, I don't want it to be like all the other Naru/Hina stories out there. It'll take some time for them to realize that they are meant to be with each other. You know how people are; they never can see what we see.

Narutos Vixen- No no no. I WONT have any of that. I'm just showing that in this story, Naruto wasn't hooked to Sakura like in the manga. He had other crushes than her. I have a different person in mind for Ino…

* * *

_Pre-Exam Jitters! The Chuunin Exams Beckon on the Horizon!_

_

* * *

_

Naruto was anxious as Team 7 and their new travel buddies walked along the forest path. They were going to be back in Konoha soon and Naruto missed home.

The blonde Kitsune looked over his group as they stopped for their last break. Sasuke was sitting by himself on a tree, being as big an emo as ever.

Zabuza and Haku kept to themselves. Zabuza was sharpening his sword and seemed to be muttering to himself. Haku kept sneaking furtive looks at Sasuke and blushed every time he looked in her direction.

Kakashi was laying on the ground, staring at clouds. It's become his favorite pastime as of late.

Inari was rapidly yammering with Jade and Nagare. Jade was a pretty girl, about ten-years-old. She had medium length, green hair and brilliantly bright red eyes. She wore a green dress that made her eyes look even brighter.

Nagare, also ten, had spiky grey hair and stone grey eyes. He wore black-rimmed glasses and a black shirt with the kanji for doom in grey, brown pants, and an odd, ornate bracelet.

Hinata was sitting by herself, staring off into space. Naruto looked at her, and all he could feel was anger. As much as he wished he could forget, she called him a monster. Like all the other villagers, she thought he was a bloodthirsty monster. They may act like all nice to him because his father is the Hokage, but his ears pick up what they whisper behind his back. Naruto was crushed that a person he thought he could trust was no better than anyone else.

By this time, Hinata had walked over to Naruto. "H-H-Hey!" she said chipperly. Naruto simply didn't say anything. "U-U-Uh, are you ok?" Hinata hesitantly asked.

Naruto stood up and walked away, sitting under the tree Sasuke was sitting in. The Uchiha smirked and said, "And you call me an emo." Hinata stared incredulously as Naruto didn't reply.

_

* * *

_

By sunset, the group had arrived at the southeastern gate of Konoha. After explaining the extra people to the sentries, they walked along into the village and to the Hokage Tower.

They arrived in Minato's office ten minutes later. "I see your mission went better than expected, Kakashi. You brought back Momoichi Zabuza as a prisoner," Minato said.

Kakashi replied, "Not as a prisoner. As an ally."

Minato looked at the young Jonin like he lost his mind. "You know Konoha doesn't associate with terrorists."

"But in the Code of Laws, Section III, Paragraph 56, written by the Nidaime Hokage, Senju Tobirama, a missing-nin who helps a Konoha-nin capture a criminal wanted in at least three major nations and swears his undying allegiance to our village can be granted citizenship in Konoha and indirectly Hi no Kuni," Kakashi shot back.

Minato rolled his eyes and sighed. "You know the law better than I do. I don't know if I should be proud or embarrassed. What criminal has Zabuza helped you capture?"

Kakashi turned to Hinata and said, "Take the kids out of here until I call for them." The Hyuuga did as her sensei asked. Kakashi pulled a scroll out of one of his jacket pockets. He bit his thumb and made some hand seals. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu (_Summoning Technique_)!" A small head appeared on the desk. Minato whistled as he looked at the head.

"Boukun Gato, a gangster born in Iwagakure no Sato (Village Hidden in the Rocks). Wanted in Tsuchi, Hi, Kumo, and Kaze for everything from rape and murder to public lewdness. Must have been one hell of a battle.

"Still, Zabuza is an A-Class Missing-nin. I'm not just going to hand over citizenship like that. You and your, um, what is she?" Minato inquired.

"She's my daughter, Haku," Zabuza replied, speaking for the first time since they left Nami.

"Well, you and Haku here have to be interrogated by ANBU. Once my men can determine you mean us no harm, I'll give you citizenship and rank," Minato said. "Now then, tell me about your mission."

* * *

After Team 7 filled Minato in on everything that happened and explained the reason the kids were with them, they were free to go.

"Well, anyone up for some ramen?" asked Kakashi. Sasuke and Hinata quickly agreed. Naruto began walking away from them. "Hey! I'm paying Naruto-ototo!" Kakashi shouted after him.

"No thanks," Naruto shouted back. Kakashi watched his brother walk away and turned to the other two ninja.

"I'll meet you at Ichiraku's. I gotta check on Naruto," said Kakashi. Kakashi chased after the Kitsune as Hinata watched on, worry on her face.

"Sasuke, would you know what's wrong with Naruto?" Hinata asked.

"I take it people don't take to kindly to being called out of their names," Sasuke said. "Wouldn't you agree?" And with that, Sasuke walked off toward Ichiraku's, leaving Hinata to reflect on what he said.

_

* * *

_

A few months had gone by, and life returned to normal in Konoha. Team 7 had returned to doing C-Rank missions, albeit their group chemistry was off, more so than ever before. Naruto would often go off on his own during battles, refusing help from both Sasuke AND Hinata. He wouldn't talk to them unless absolutely necessary. It got to the point where Naruto would refuse to eat with the squad, even if it was his favorite, beef ramen.

Zabuza and Haku passed the interrogation with flying colors. Zabuza was made a Jonin, while Haku was made a Genin, albeit on a reserve list, for there were no available openings on any Genin squads.

Right now, Naruto was lounging in downtown Konoha. He had just returned from another escort mission and was looking to have down time. As he walked closer to the Konoha Hospital, he noticed the crowds got larger, and it got quieter. Suddenly, the pungent odor of blood filled Naruto's nostrils. He leapt onto the rooftops and ran to what, or rather who, the crowd was looking at.

A young girl, about Naruto's age, with long black hair lay on the ground, bleeding profusely from the kunai wounds to her neck, wrists, and chest. A medic-nin was trying to revive her, but it didn't seem to be working.

And then Naruto saw them. A blonde boy in purple and a brunette boy in grey and brown. The brunette was covered in blood and shaking; the blonde watched the girl with nervous interest.

'_That's Satsu and Kiokure! Then that means…oh Kami! Nai!_' Naruto thought. Naruto's fears were confirmed when he jumped and landed near Kiokure. The girl on the ground, the girl who just died, was Ichiban Nai, a classmate of Naruto. [_**1**_]

"She's gone…I can't believe she's gone," Kiokure muttered as the medic-nin declared the time of death.

"This is all my fault," Satsu said. "I should have stopped the kunai! I know I could have! But I was so determined to catch those bandits!"

Naruto looked at Nai with a heavy heart. Although they never spoke and weren't friends, Naruto had respect for her that one might have for their comrade. It was definitely sad that she passed so soon.

"Satsu, Kiokure!" The three boys turned to see a Jonin with wild black hair and facial hair walking toward them.

Satsu and Kiokure bowed to him and said in unison, "Yes, Asuma-sensei?"

Asuma viewed Nai's body and turned his head as if disgusted. "Nai was our comrade and she was a ray of light in an otherwise dark world. She'd be pissed if she saw us moping around. Nai would want us to learn from her death and move on. Don't beat yourselves up over this. I've learned that if Shinigami wants you bad enough, he'll get you," Asuma said.

"You boys hurry along. I'll break the news to Nai's parents," he said. As they fought their way through the crowds, Naruto turned to Asuma. He could smell the tears that rolled down his face as he viewed Nai's bloody, lifeless body one more time.

_

* * *

_

A few weeks had gone by and Naruto was walking away from the cemetery, garbbed in black. Kiokure had asked Naruto to go with him to visit Nai's grave. The Ichibans owned an ice cream parlor and served as Chuunin for the village. They always treated Naruto with kindness, so Naruto thought the least he could do was show their daughter respect.

As Naruto walked, he saw Haku walking in his direction. She was garbbed in a bright blue tunic and black leggings. Her hair was tied with a pale blue hair tie and cascaded down her back.

"Konichiwa Naruto-san. How are you today?" Haku asked with a pleasant smile.

Naruto returned her sentiment and said, "I'm ok. I heard about you being on Squad 6."

"Yeah, I've never worked with anyone other than Tou-san. I was kinda nervous," Haku said.

Naruto smiled and replied, "You're with my best friend, Masurao Kiokure, and Toppyoushimonai Satsu. They're both strong ninja."

Before Haku could reply, Hinata and Sasuke turned the corner. Hinata waved at Haku and Naruto and walked over to them.

"N-N-Naruto-kun, w-w-we've been looking all over for you. S-S-Sensei wants to talk with us," Hinata said. Almost as if someone flipped a switch, Naruto became cold and distant. Everyone could feel the difference, especially Hinata.

"I'll meet him there," Naruto coldly replied. He turned around to walk away and bumped into a guy.

"Watch where you're going, punk," the guy said as he shoved Naruto into the ground. Naruto growled, sprung to his feet, and with all his strength, punched the guy dead in his face.

Naruto took this time to quickly assess his opponent. He was a lot taller than Naruto and looked kind of creepy. He wore an all black jumpsuit, a black cloth with a Suna hitai-ite attached on his head, and make-up on his face.

The guy rubbed his face and said, "That fucking hurt! I'm gonna kill you!" He grabbed Naruto by his collar and headbutted him.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata shouted. She ran to help him but a girl suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She was very pretty, with spiky blonde hair tied into four pigtails and bright green eyes. She was wearing a lavender battle kimono and fishnets underneath. Her Suna hitai-ite was tied around her neck. She grabbed Hinata's arm to stop her from getting closer.

"Kankuro-kun, enough!" the girl shouted.

Kankuro punched Naruto again and shouted back, "This fucker punched me! I'm gonna make sure he at least never throws a punch again!"

_

* * *

_

Kakashi was standing in the Council Hall, waiting for Minato to show up. He called a meeting between the other ten Jonin senseis. The senseis of Squads 1,2,3,4,and 5 filled in slowly but surely.

"Lil' Sweet Cheeks!" Kakashi groaned and turned around to see his best friend, Uchiha Obito. Obito had spiky, black hair, very similar to Naruto's own hairstyle. He eyes black like coals, and a scar that ran down his left eye.

The other Jonin snickered at Kakashi's nickname. The silver-haired Jonin growled and said, "I thought you agreed to never speak about that again?!"

"I don't know about that, man. We were in Tsuchi, I was bleeding a lot, it's really blurry," Obito said with a devilish smile.

"You boys never grow up," a lithe, feminine voice said. Kakashi turned and was met with a vision of perfect beauty. She had long, straight, reddish-brown hair that flowed down to the top of her back. She was wearing a dark blue kimono with pink and yellow stars decorating it.

"Rin!" both Jonin shouted. They instantly stopped their arguing. Rin had a habit of hitting people in places they shouldn't be hit when annoyed.

"Still have those dogs trained well, eh Inuzuka?" Asuma asked as he walked in.

Rin scrunched her nose up at Asuma, who smelled of tobacco. "Still trying to turn your lungs into black jelly, eh Sarutobi?"

Asuma laughed and replied, "You know I smoke for my jutsu."

Obito leaned over to Kakashi and whispered, "I didn't know Big Tobacco here had any jutsu."

Asuma heard Obito and shouted, "IF YOU WANT I CAN SHOW YOU!!!"

Obito got in Asuma's face and shouted, "BRING IT ON NEWPORT!!!"

"That's enough you two!" The Jonin turned around to see Minato and Shikan standing in the center of the room. "You should thank me. Rin was about to kick you in the nuts," Minato said.

"Now, as to why I called you ten here…well it should be obvious, but the Chuunin Exams are near."

"It's that near? How much longer do we have?" asked Kakashi.

Shikan coughed and replied, "About a month."

"Why so soon? The exams are usually held in September, not July," inquired Asuma.

"I don't know. The Kazekage has asked that we expedite the Exams. He claims that Suna is preparing to declare war on the Yakuza, and that the first battle is planned to be in September. So now we need to pick the Genin who will participate," Minato stated.

Minato called each Jonin sensei up to nominate which of their Genin would participate. It was a bit disheartening to see that one or none of their Genin was ready to participate. Finally, Minato got to Asuma.

"I nominate Masurao Kiokure, Momoichi Haku, and Toppyoushimonai Satsu," Asuma said.

"I nominate Namikaze Naruto, Hyuuga Hinata, and Uchiha Sasuke," Kakashi said.

"I nominate Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino, and Akimichi Choji," Obito said.

Rin was next, but she hesitated a little. Minato noticed this and asked, "What's the problem Rin-san?"

"I nominate Aburame Shino to take the Chuunin Exams. I would like to nominate Haruno Sakura and Inuzuka Kiba, but I have some…concerns," Rin stated.

Minato raised his eyebrow and replied, "What kind of concerns?"

"*Sigh* Sakura hasn't progressed much. I was really excited to get her, since she was the Kunoichi of the Year like I was 13 years ago, but Sakura is quite apprehensive to work. And she doesn't get along with Kiba or Shino.

"As for Kiba, he's loud and reckless. I don't think he has the maturity required to take part in an exam like these," Rin stated.

Shikan looked between them and said, "I don't think…"

"Nevertheless, I'll nominate them both solely on the fact that bad qualities aside, they are superb at what they do [**_2_**]," Rin said, cutting the officer off.

"Ok. I'll accept your nominations," Minato said. "All in all, we have 17 Genin who will take part in the exams. I spoke to Guy last night and he nominated his whole squad. They should be back from their mission in a week's time. Since that's everybody—"

"WAIT!!!" Everyone turned to see Iruka standing in the doorway. He was panting from running and he said, "I…I…I can't allow Squads 6, 7, 8, and 10 to take part in the Exams!"

Minato looked bewildered and said, "Why not?"

"They're not ready! I taught all of them, well except for Haku, and they may be talented, but they each have serious flaws that—"

"Hey, Iruka. Butt out!" Kakashi said.

"Excuse me?" Iruka growled.

"These kids have long since surpassed the Genin level. They need the Exams so that they can keep growing," Kakashi said.

Iruka was quiet for a moment then replied, "Since words won't work…I challenge you to a duel!"

Gasps filled the room. No Jonin in the room, save for Obito or maybe Asuma, had the balls to challenge THE Hatake Kakashi to a fight. And here was this Chuunin practically signing his life away.

"I accept," Kakashi said.

"Kakashi! Stop being so macho!" Rin whispered.

"If I win, then your squads can't take part in the Chuunin Exams!" Iruka said.

"And if I win, you have to cut the umbilical cords," Kakashi replied.

Minato leaned over to Shikan and said, "Start taking bets. I have $1,000 on Kakashi."

* * *

Kankuro tossed Naruto into some garbage cans and removed the bandaged object from his back. Sasuke sighed and thought, '_I have to get involved now._'

The Uchiha picked up a rock and threw it at Kankuro's head. "Leave the dobe alone. He's not worth it," Sasuke said.

"Oh and I suppose you are, huh fucker?" Kankuro asked.

"Didn't your mother teach you any manners?" Sasuke replied. Temari's eyes widened; the cute boy in front of her was about to die.

"Don't…ever…talk…about…my…_**mother!**_" shouted Kankuro as he leapt at Sasuke. Suddenly, a very dark energy filled the air. Kankuro stopped and began shaking.

"Y-Y-You didn't tell me he was coming," Kankuro shouted.

Temari smirked and replied, "You were too busy playing with the kids to feel his yokai heading this way."

Naruto's eyes widened at that. '_Y-Y-Yokai?! Could this guy be a demon too?_' he thought. Naruto was about to get the answer to his question.

A boy, slightly taller than Naruto, turned the corner behind Kankuro. He had short, straight, brick-red hair, pale skin, and turquoise eyes so big his pupils were nearly invisible. Thick, black lines ran along the edges of his eyes. In red, the kanji for love was tattooed on the left side of his forehead He wore black overalls, a short-sleeve fishnet t-shirt, and a long white scarf, which was tied so it laid across his right shoulder and left leg. A large, earthen gourd was tied to his back.

"Kankuro…you're such an embarrassment to our village," the boy said as he shoved the older, larger boy out of the way.

"Ga-Gaara!" Kankuro stammered.

'_When did he get here? He's as sneaky as Kakashi!_' thought Sasuke.

"Losing yourself in a fight…you look so pathetic. We didn't come here for this," Gaara stated.

"But Gaara! They started—"

Gaara appeared behind Kankuro instantly. He stood on his tiptoes and whispered, "_**Shut the fuck up or I'll kill you.**_" Gaara returned to his normal height and said, "Apologize to these people."

Kankuro bowed his head and said, "Sumimasen."

Gaara turned to Sasuke and said, "I can tell you're the leader. You're definitely the strongest here. I apologize on behalf of my squad mates."

Gaara turned and began walking away. "We got here too early. Let's take some time to train. I'm tired of rescuing you two all the time. Maybe I should let you die next time."

Both Temari and Kankuro winced and followed after Gaara. Naruto looked at Gaara and said, "Wait! Can I ask you a question?" Gaara stopped walking and looked at Naruto impatiently. "Are you a…are you a demon too?"

Gaara's eyes widened. '_How could he know? I can't believe I've been discovered so quickly!_'

_**Bah! You're an idiot! He's a demon too! Can't you tell by the fucking fox ears? He's probably Kitsune scum!**_

Gaara looked at Naruto and simply said, "No." The three Suna-nin vanished in a swirl of leaves.

Haku spoke up and said, "Those guys…were weird."

Naruto sighed and suddenly, Kyo's voice boomed in his head. _***YAWN* So…what did I miss?**_

Unbeknownst to them, three figures were sitting in a tree a few yards away. "So Dosu, what do you think?"

"I think we have nothing to worry about Zaku."

"Let's get something to eat, please baby?"

"Fine Kin. Let's get out of here."

* * *

All the Jonin in Konoha (minus Rin and Kurenai) gathered at Training Ground #1, also known as Karidaichiijin (_The Devil's Hunting Ground_). Kakashi was sitting on the ground, staring at the clouds as the setting sun turned them into brilliant shades of red, pink, orange, and purple.

Iruka soon arrived, carrying a standard issue katana. "Kakashi! Let's go!" Shikan pulled out his own katana and traced a circle in the ground, about 50 feet in diameter. He then walked in the middle of the ring and gave his trademark pre-speech cough.

"I want a good clean fight. No Ninjutsu or Genjutsu; no kekkei genkei; just Taijutsu and Kenjutsu. First out of the ring loses. Oh, and no killing Kakashi," Shikan stated. The officer leapt out of the way as Iruka unsheathed his blade. Kakashi opted to not move from his position.

"So you're not going to take me seriously, Kakashi?" Iruka said as he raised his blade over his head.

"Yup," the Jonin replied.

Iruka growled and ran at Kakashi in full sprint. He swung down diagonally from left to right, and Kakashi simply bent over forward.

"My turn!" Kakashi said. He grabbed a kunai out of Iruka's leg holster, flipped it so that the hilt as pointing upward, and jabbed Iruka's, uh, butt.

"Konohagakure Hiden: Taijutsu no Ōugi: Sennen Goroshi (_Hidden Leaf Village Secret Finger Technique: One Thousand Years of Death_)!" [_**3**_]

Iruka squealed in pain as he was propelled high into the sky, and out of the ring. All the Jonin, save for Obito and Asuma, released a raucous roar of laughter. Shikan groaned as he was forced to give his sensei $1,000.

Obito sighed and said, "Gotta hand it to Kakashi. Using such an idiotic jutsu and infusing it with chakra…it's ingenious! Why didn't I ever think of that?"

Asuma rolled his eyes and said, "You answered your own question."

Once again, Obito got in Asuma's face. "HEY SMOKEY!!! WE CAN SETTLE THIS NOW!!!"

"LET"S GO PRETTY BOY!!!" [_**4**_]

"Hey, what's so funny?"

All laughter and arguing stopped as the Jonin turned to Zabuza. He was wearing the same black clothing he wore during his battle with Kakashi on the bridge, a green flak jacket, and a Konohagakure hitai-ite, which was tied around his forehead.

Most of the Jonin glared at Zabuza like he had the plague. "I can see I'm not wanted here," Zabuza said.

"What gave that away?" a young, newly appointed Jonin muttered. Under normal circumstances, Zabuza would have diced him into cubed slices and not have batted an eye. But he forced himself to remember why he came to the village in the first place.

"Then I'll just go," the devil said slowly. He made a hand seal and vanished in a swirl of leaves. Obito turned to the ninja and shook his head.

"Great job making the new guy feel welcome. Remind me to ask one of you meat heads to welcome the next one," he said before vanishing in a swirl of leaves as well.

* * *

Next Time: _It's finally here! The Chuunin Exams begin today! But I hear that people don't always survive…THAT JUST MAKES IT MORE AWESOME!!!!!! And who's the weirdo in the spandex?_

_So it Begins! Konoha's Tanseiijin [**5**__] vs. The Queen of Emos!_

* * *

1- If you recall in Chapter 4, I mentioned Nai in passing when the teams were called out. I purposely chose a name that would translate into the first dead because I planned all along to replace her with Haku. And her name means first dead…

2- RIn's reasoning for allowing Kiba and Sakura to partake in the exams will be explained in the next chapter.

3- Sorry if I let you all down with that fight, but as you may have noticed, there's always a method to my madness.

4- Obito and Asuma are my comic relief during tense situations as you'll see throughout the series.

5- This translates to the Leaf's Handsome Devil. I'm sure that we all know who's appearing next chapter.


	11. Chuunin Exams II

Esparza3368- I know. I purposely did this 1) because I didn't want a godlike Naruto. I wanted him to grow into his powers much like any other person would. By the end of this story, he'll be way stronger. 2) I have another reason that you'll see at the end of the Chuunin Exams

Shingen Takeda 1521- I forgot to say this last time but thanks. I hadn't realized until after I updated that I made Hinata say that. You helped me figure out how I'm going to keep their relationship both original and how I'm going to get them together. Many thanks friend.

Narutos vixen- My favorite reviewer :). She did stutter before when talking to Naruto (young love) or Sasuke (nervousness). But she stutters more now because she feels bad about what happened on the bridge and lost her confidence.

A/N: Also, I'd like to thank narutos vixen and red-volpe for being faithful reviewers. You guys give me some good ideas and you rock!

* * *

_So it Begins! Konoha's Tanseiijin vs. The Queen of Emos!_

* * *

Three teenagers, two boys and a girl, were training intensely at Training Ground #108; their only spectator was the pale half moon. One boy was off by himself training, while the other boy and the girl were practicing with their ninja tools.

"Hey, did you hear? Lord Namikaze is allowing twelve rookies to take part in the exams! That is the first time in five years," the boy said.

"No way! Lord Namikaze has more common sense than that!" the girl shouted. "It's probably some stubborn old Jonin tryin' to one-up the other."

"No, the squads under the tutelage of Hatake Kakashi-san, Inuzuka Rin-san, and Uchiha Obito-san are a part of that group," the boy replied.

The other boy walked over to them, picked up a kunai, and twirled it between his fingers. "So we get a chance to do battle with the students of the second-generation Sannin? Hmmm…I almost feel…sorry for them," the boy said as he threw the kunai at a large boulder. A small smile spread across his face as the kunai became embedded in the boulder almost hilt deep.

* * *

A month had gone by, and the Chuunin Exams were tomorow. Team 7 sat on the ground at Training Ground #44, waiting for Kakashi, who was late as usual. Sasuke was twirling his kunai as he assessed his two teammates. Hinata and Naruto both seemed downtrodden. While Naruto's depression made him work harder, Hinata's caused her to slack off and lose focus. Naruto had mastered three new jutsu since they left Nami. Hinata spent most of her time getting scolder for not trying hard enough. Sasuke was, surprisingly, on Naruto's side.

"Oi! Blondey!" Sasuke shouted. Naruto didn't even look at him. Sasuke sighed in annoyance and stood up. He walked toward the sitting, depressed Kitsune and kicked him square in the head.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Naruto shouted.

"I have a lock on the emo thing. Stop copying," Sasuke said.

Naruto growled at Sasuke and said, "Fuck you."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and said, "You're even more pathetic than I thought. You're letting what some stupid girl said affect who you are! Fuck her and fuck what she thinks! You're your own man! So grow some balls and stop acting like an idi—"

Naruto cut Sasuke off by punching him…and punching him…and punching him. He raised his fist to punch him again, but a hand clasped around Naruto's fist.

"Naruto, that's enough," Kakashi said. The Kitsune yanked his hand free and walked away from Sasuke.

"Well, I was going to say we should practice Taijutsu, but it seems we've already done that," joked Kakashi. He reached into his pocket and pulled out three forms. "These forms are applications to take part in the Chuunin Exams. I nominated you three to do so."

The three Genin took the applications, and filled them out. "If you're going to take part in the exams, go to room 301 at the Academy tomorrow by 8:00 a.m." The Jonin turned his back and vanished.

Hinata was the first to spring to her feet and walk straight out of the training field. Naruto's face softened a bit, but he remembered why he was being so harsh to her, and his face hardened again.

Sasuke shook his head and thought, '_He needs to get laid._'

* * *

Hinata wandered aimlessly through the village, tears streaming down her face. She wished she could go back to that day on the bridge, and take back what she said. Naruto wouldn't hate her and they would still be friends.

'_And now he won't even look me in the eye. I'm such an idiot,_' thought Hinata. '_I…I can't be in the Chuunin Exams. I'm a wreck, and if it's true that death is a possibility, I can't risk Sasuke or Naruto-kun's safety._'

Hinata bumped into an elder man as she was lost in thought. He had long, black hair, and the same pure white eyes that Hinata had. He wore a plain, green and beige kimono and wooden sandals. He seemed to be a very intimidating person. Hinata bowed before the man and said, "Konnichiwa, Tou-san."

Hiashi bowed to her and said, "Konnichiwa, Hinata-chan. Why are you so glum? Do you want to talk about it?"

Hinata hesitated a bit. Her father overreacted when it came to boys. But maybe he could share some jewel of wisdom with her that could help her win her friend back.

"W-W-Well sir, I, uh, may have hurt my b-b-best f-f-friend's feelings," Hinata stammered. She broke down into a full sob and her father pulled her into a loving embrace.

"Shhh, my little flower," Hiashi said as he hugged her. The man did this while glaring at nosy villagers who were trying to find out what was going on. Hiashi was a feared ex-ANBU; the villagers weren't dumb enough to piss him off. "Which friend did you offend?" he asked.

"N-N-N-N-Namikaze N-N-Naruto," Hinata choked out. Hiashi had tensed visibly at hearing that boy's name. He knew they were squad mates (probably the biggest fuck you Minato could think of after their 'disagreement' eleven years ago [_**1**_]). He prayed to Kami for help when Hinata told him that they were good friends. But now, as Hiashi cradled his crying daughter, he prayed to Kami for forgiveness and asked to help her.

"Well, Hinata-chan, what did you do to hurt him?"

Hinata replied, "I called him a monster!" She then began crying even more, for the seriousness of her actions hit her. "Oh Kami, I'm no better than the other villagers! He's the sweetest boy ever and he doesn't deserve someone like me!"

"Hinata-chan, something like that you may never be able to take back. Not with words anyway. Sometimes, you have sacrifice something so the person you've wronged sees that you really do regret all the horrible things you said," Hiashi said.

Hinata just hugged her father tighter as she cried. The older man did nothing but hope that Kami heard his prayer.

* * *

Team 7 met in front of Ichiraku's and then walked together to the Academy. The walk was the usual awkward quiet that seemed to cover the group these days. They arrived at the Academy, and saw a large group of ninja standing in front of room 401.

"Hey, get outta the way!"

"We got exams to take!"

It seemed that two Chuunin were blocking the way into the room, denying all of the ninja access. The leader of the pair seemed amused by the Genin's attempts to get through. Hinata walked up to the Chuunin and bowed her head.

"Please sir, let us through," she asked.

The Chuunin looked dumbfounded, then replied, "What are we, girl scouts? No!"

"Well, then can you at least release this Genjutsu?" Naruto said. The two Chuunin were shocked the blonde kid figured it out so quickly.

The Chuunin captain smirked and said, "I know your type. You specialize in Genjutsu but you lack in all the other necessary areas and rely on your tem to save your ass.

Naruto smirked back and said, "Actually, I thought about it. Room 301 is on the third floor; we only went up two flights." Giving the Chuunin his famous Kitsune grin, he turned and began walking up the stairs. "I'll be heading to the third floor now. [_**2**_]"

The Chuunin captain growled and rushed at Naruto. "Try figuring out this!" he shouted as he made hand seals. However, before he could finish, he was punched in the stomach, not by Naruto, but by another boy. He had shiny black hair, done in a bowl cut hairstyle. He had thick eyebrows and small black eyes. He wore green spandex, orange leg warmers, and bandages on his arms.

"It is not honorable to attack someone from behind," the boy said. Two other kids walked over to the boy.

"Lee! What happened to not drawing any attention to ourselves?" another boy asked. He had long black hair that was tied at the end. He wore a beige high collar shirt, grey pants, and bandages on his arms.

Lee sheepishly smiled and muttered out an apology. "Sorry Neji-kun. I hate cowardly attacks like that," he said.

The girl shook her head at her teammate. She had brown hair tied into two buns. She wore a sky-blue Oriental-styled shirt, and navy blue pants. "Stop being so gung-ho Lee-kun."

"But Tenten-chan—" Lee began but Naruto cut him off by placing his hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks, but I could have handled it," Naruto said as he dispelled his clone.

The three Genin were shocked, and Lee asked, "How did you know he was going to attack you?"

Naruto gave them a Kitsune grin and said, "Let's just say I have a nose for these things. By the way, I'm Namikaze Naruto, (points at Sasuke) the emo queen is Uchiha Sasuke, (points at Hinata) and Hyuuga Hi—"

"Nata. Hmph, I should know who my cousin is," Neji said.

Lee then said, "I am Rock Lee. This is Ichiban Tenten [_**3**_], and as you may have presumed, this is Hyuuga Neji." Lee looked at Sasuke, and then asked, "You wouldn't happen to be the son of Uchiha Obito, would you?"

"No, Obito-san is my cousin…why?" replied Sasuke.

Fire seemed to flare in Lee's eyes as he pointed at Sasuke and shouted, "YOUR OBITO-SAN HAS DISRESPECTED MY SENSEI FOR THE LAST TIME!!!! I CHALLENGE YOU TO A TAIJUSTU MATCH TO THE DEATH!!!!"

Sasuke smirked, and replied, "How about a regular old Taijutsu match? Death is kind of…overboard."

* * *

The two boys stood in the center of the playground, stretching and getting ready for battle. Naruto, Hinata, Neji, and Tenten sat off to the side to watch. Neji looked at Hinata, who was trying her hardest not to show how freaked she was. I mean, if your best friend was mad at you and you had your "wonderful" cousin on the other side of you, tossing killing intent your way, you'd be freaking too.

Lee smiled as he dropped into his stance. "I have always wanted to test my abilities against those of a member of the genius clan's," Lee said.

Sasuke smirked and said, "You're pretty brave for challenging me, knowing what clan I come from and what I possess. But you're also dumb. I'm about to show you what the Uchiha name means bushy brows!"

Tenten looked at the clock tower that stood in the distance. "Lee! Hurry up, we only have a half hour to get to meeting room," she shouted.

Lee smirked and replied, "I only need five minutes." Sasuke took off toward Lee in full sprint. Lee bent his knees in anticipation, then leapt up and shouted, "Konoha Boushisenpuu (_Leaf's Spinning Whirlwind_)!" Lee leapt up and kicked Sasuke full force in the head with his left leg and in the side with his right. From those two kicks alone, Sasuke's vision darkened.

'_His strength is unreal!_' the Uchiha thought as he put some distance between the two. Sasuke was suddenly punched in the face, causing him to roll across the playground.

Sasuke shakily stood up. The world was really dark, and everything seemed to be in triplicates. '_I need to use it! Here goes!_' Sasuke's eyes turned red and two tomoe appeared in both eyes. "Sharingan!"

"So you have finally brought out your Sharingan? I am sorry to inform you that it will not work against me," Lee said.

Sasuke smirked and replied, "Oh yeah? Well—gyack!" Lee had kicked him high into the sky. Sasuke's Sharingan couldn't detect Lee at all!

'_He…he must have a kekkei genkei, too! That's the only way he can beat my eyes!_' thought Sasuke as he went soaring into the sky.

Naruto groaned and said, "That's one of Konoha's forbidden Taijutsu! It took me a while to realize but this is the only style of Taijutsu to be considered Kinjutsu! He's about to use…"

Lee leapt into the air after Sasuke and maneuvered his body so he would be behind the Uchiha. "It is true that the Sharingan can read Nin and Genjutsu by reading chakra levels and hand seals, but Taijutsu is much more different. You may be able to see my movements, but seeing is useless if you cannot move fast enough to defend yourself!" Lee shouted. The bandages on Lee's arm began to slowly unwrap.

"Your Sharingan makes you a genius type; basically a person who does not have to work hard to be successful. I, on the other hand, have pushed myself far beyond my limits to master Taijutsu. And I'm here to show you that hard work can overcome genius talent!"

A pinwheel flew out of nowhere toward Lee, forcing the spandex-clad boy to maneuver out of the way. A red tortoise trudged toward Lee with a scowl on his face.

"Lee! What the hell is wrong with you! You know that technique is forbidden!" the tortoise shouted.

"I am sorry Asamashii. I just wanted to see if I could beat Sasuke-kun," Lee sheepishly replied.

Asamashii growled back, "What a shitty excuse! I hope you're ready to pay! Here's Gai-sensei!" A plume of smoke appeared and a man who looked like an older version of Lee was seen standing on Asamashii's shell.

"Yosh!!! You guys are the epitome of adolescent youthfulness!!!" Gai shouted. Team 7 was frightened by the Jonin; he had even bushier eyebrows than Lee!

'_It's like a forest on his forehead!_' thought Hinata.

'_And Naruto says I look like a queer,_' thought Sasuke.

'_Those eyebrows are magnificently scary! I wonder if they have their own mind!_' thought Naruto.

Gai looked at Lee and, without warning, punched him hard in the face. "You are…you are," Gai stammered as tears poured down his face.

Lee was crying as well when he replied, "Sensei, I…I…I…"

"LEE!!!"

"GUY-SENSEI!!!" The two rushed each other and hugged tightly as scenery with a sunset and an ocean appeared behind them. Team 7 was visibly grossed out by this display of affection.

"It's alright to make mistakes Lee-kun. On the road of life, mistakes are inevitable, like bad hair days. However, you broke my rules and attempted to use a technique I have forbidden you from using. Your punishment will take place after the Chuunin Exams," Gai said. He looked over to Team 7, who were slowly inching away from him.

'_So they're Kakashi's,_' thought Gai. He waved his hand to them and shouted, "How is Kakashi-san and Obito-san?"

"How do you know them?" Naruto asked, still visibly weirded out by Gai and Lee's display.

"KAKASHI-SAN IS MY GREATEST RIVAL!!! AND OBITO-SAN IS MY GREATEST CRITIC!!!" Gai said. "FOR THAT REASON, YOU THREE WILL BECOME MY SQUAD'S GREATEST RIVALS!!!"

Tenten and Neji sighed in embarrassment at their sensei's antics. "Uh Gai-sensei, we have only five minutes to get to the meeting room," Tenten said.

Gai looked over to his students and shouted, "YOSH!!! THEN GO, MY STUDENTS, AND ILLUMINATE THESE PROCEEDINGS WITH THE FLAMES OF YOUR YOUTH!!!!!!" Gai dispelled Asamashii and then leapt over the gate and ran off into the village.

An awkward silence covered the group and finally Naruto said, "Soooooooooooo…who's up for taking an exam?"

* * *

Next Time: _We've finally gotten to the meeting room! There's a lot of strong guys here…I CAN'T WAIT TO KICK THEIR ASSES!!! But first we have to take a written exam. I suck at written exams and if I fail…we all fail!_

_I Spy! The First Exam!_

* * *

1- Minato and Hiashi had a rather interesting disagreement eleven years ago that ruined their two decade friendship. Any bets as to what, or who, caused the disagreement?

2- Before someone tells me Naruto couldn't figure that out, this Naruto is smarter than the one in the manga and he is good at Genjutsu. Also, some people think better when they're mad.

3- As far as I know, Tenten's clan was never revealed so I stuck her in the Ichiban Clan. There's no hidden meaning with this; just laziness lol.


	12. Chuunin Exams III

Shingen Takeda 1521- Expect a flashback and an actual fight (not the Iruka/Kakashi pawnage) in a chapter or two with all the info.

Narutos vixen- It was his actions more so than his appearance. I believe Hinata can see past his physical; after all, she fell for who he was in the manga, not because he was handsome.

* * *

_I Spy! The First Exams!_

* * *

Teams 7 and 9 raced through the Academy, hoping to get to the meeting room in time. They only had two minutes to reach the room. They reached the room with 30 seconds to spare. Soon the door behind them faded, trapping them in and barring anyone from entering. The six Genin turned around and were greeted by an awesome sight.

'_W-W-Wow!_' thought Naruto.

Hundreds of Genin sat in the large auditorium. And they were all looking at Team 7 and 9. A girl ran up to them. "Naruto! Hi!" she cheerfully said. Naruto smiled at the girl. She was Yamanaka Ino, an old flame of his. They had a very short, yet very passionate, romance last summer that ended on friendly terms. They still remained friends, but since graduating from the Academy, they hadn't had much time to talk.

"Hey, Ino. Long time, no see!" Naruto replied.

"GET AWAY FROM NARUTO-KUN, INO-BUTA!!!" Everyone turned and saw Sakura. If looks could kill, Ino would have died years ago. Naruto sighed when he saw her. The Kitsune had hoped that she wouldn't participate in the Exam.

"Why if isn't Sakura? I see you could still build a city on that forehead of yours," Ino replied.

Lee got in between the girls and walked to Sakura. He flashed her a smile that would have made Gai proud and said, "Hi. My name is Rock Lee. What's you—GYACK!!!"

Sakura slapped him out of the way and spat, "MOVE FREAK!!! NOW WHAT DID YOU SAY BITCH?!?!?!"

"Oi! Shut up already." Two boys walked over to Naruto. He recognized them as Akimichi Choji and Nara Shikamaru.

"So even you idiots get to take the exam," Naruto said, trying his hardest to look cool.

"You're a fine one to talk Naruto," Shikamaru slowly replied.

"YAHOO!! I finally found you Naruto!" Everyone turned to see two boys walking towards them. It was Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino. "I heard you were takin' the exam and I had to see if it was true! I hope you're ready to lose!" Kiba shouted. Shino merely stood next to Kiba; no words escaped his mouth.

"Whatever mutt!" Naruto shouted back [_**1**_].

"Pft, you seem really confident Kiba. I hope you can back it up," Sasuke said.

"I've been doin' a lot of trainin' and I don't plan to lose to any of you!" Kiba shouted.

"Well, Sasuke may lose to you, but I have no intentions of losing to a two-bit ninja like you." Team 6 (Satsu, Kiokure, and Haku) walked over to the group. Sasuke tensed up immediately [_**2**_] and Kiba growled at the blonde boy's insults.

"I see you're still jealous of me. Maybe the truth is you want me and you know I'm too good for you?" Sasuke quipped.

"So you are gay? Are you a giver or a taker?" Satsu quipped back.

"Hey, Naruto! I can't believe I'm taking this exam! I-I-I-I—" Kiokure stammered.

Naruto rolled his eyes and told his best friend, "Kiokure-kun, grow some damn balls!" Haku walked over to Hinata and put her arms around her.

The ice mistress shot Naruto an evil look [_**3**_] before saying, "How are you holding up Hina?"

Hinata plastered on as genuine a smile as she could muster before saying, "I'm alright, Haku-chan." Haku gave her a disbelieving look. "Honestly, I am. I know what I have to do now," Hinata said.

_**Hey Kit, who are these kids?**_

'_The blonde girl is Yamanaka Ino. She's a bit vain but a pretty cool person. Pinky over there is Haruno Sakura. She's as short-tempered and fickle as she is smart. The pineapple head is Nara Shikamaru. He's a lazy bum but works when he needs to. _

'_The fatass is Akimichi Choji. He's a sweet guy with a temper. The guy with the puppy is Inuzuka Kiba. He's an ok guy but don't leave your girlfriend around him [__**4**__]. The serial killer-esque guy in the shades is Aburame Shino. He…he…well, now that I think of it, he never talks._

'_The purple-wearing queen is Toppyoushimonai Satsu. He's such a vain bastard, more so than Sasuke. The guy in grey who's shaking like a stripper is Masurao Kiokure. He may not look like much, but I'm actually afraid to fight him [__**5**__]. And you know Haku,_' Naruto thought.

A man with grey hair and brown eyes covered by glasses walked over to them. He wore a purple, high-collared, sleeveless shirt; a white, short-sleeved shirt underneath; and purple pants. "Hey, you guys shouldn't make so much noise. You guys are just rookies fresh out of the Academy, right?" he asked.

Sasuke glared at him and asked, "Who do you think you are, lecturing us?"

The man pushed his glasses up and replied, "My name is Yakushi Kabuto. But don't worry about that; you should look behind you." The 12 Genin did and were greeted with angry glares from not some, but all of their fellow Genin.

"Everyone is nervous about the exams," said Kabuto. "You guys should relax and stop causing a scene; the Chuunin Exams aren't a picnic, you know." Kabuto looked at the pissed expressions on the rookies' faces and said, "Hey, you guys want some dirt on the other Genin? I have ninja info cards on all the Genin participating."

"Tell me about Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro of Sunagakure no Sato," Sasuke said.

Kabuto smirked and replied, "Ooooh, you know their names. That makes it easier." He pulled out a large stack of cards and pulled three off of the top. Kabuto then infused each card with chakra and information appeared on them.

_**Kit, do you smell what I smell?**_

'_Yeah…snake oil,_' thought Naruto.

"Ok, Kankuro; age 15; D-Rank missions completed: 0; C-Rank: 5; B-Rank: 5; A-Rank: 17; S-Rank: 0. Temari; age 16; D-Rank missions completed: 0; C-Rank: 5; B-Rank: 6; A-Rank: 10; S-Rank: 0. Gaara; age 13; D-Rank missions completed: 0; C-Rank: 9; B-Rank: 8; A-Rank: 14; S-Rank: 3. Their sensei is just known as Baki; they're rookies like you guys and very strong in Ninjutsu but everything else isn't impressive," Kabuto said.

Sasuke smirked and said, "Nothing to worry about." Everyone (except Satsu and Haku) looked at Sasuke like he was insane. I mean, did you hear how many A-Rank missions this kid has done?!

"One more thing," Kabuto said. Everyone gave him their attention; they could feel his anxiety. "Gaara has returned from all of his missions without a scratch." Now even Satsu and Haku were a bit nervous. No ninja, not even the Yondaime Hokage, can say they came back from every mission injury free.

Noticing their anxiety, Kabuto decided to change the subject. "Konoha, Suna, Ame, Kusa, Taki, Oto, Kumo, Yuki…each of these villages have sent their best Genin here to take part in the exam. You guys are obviously some of the best our village has to offer."

* * *

Kakashi leaned against the wall outside of the meeting room. He was reading _Icha Icha Paradaisu; _he had to pass the time somehow. "So what chapter are you up to?"

Kakashi looked up from his book to see Obito standing on the ceiling, reading the same book. A lecherous smile spread across Kakashi's masked face. "Hehehe, Aiyoku and Aijin are about to do it," Kakashi said.

"Oh really? Well, I'm up to the part where Aijin, Aiyoku, and Sayoko are locked in a cabin and drunk. Can you say foooouuuurrrrsoooommmmeeee?" Obito said with a perverted chuckle. Suddenly, a fist hit Kakashi and Obito in their balls. Kakashi collapsed on the floor, and Obito fell on top of him.

"You two are such pervs!" Rin shouted.

"Ughhhh…Rin, you can't be hittin' Kakashi there. How are you guys gonna fu—FFFFFUUUUUCCCCKKKKK!!!" Obito screech as Rin stomped on his balls again. Asuma and Gai were walking down the hall and Rin didn't want them to hear Obito [_**6**_].

"YOSH!!! WHY ARE YOU ON THE FLOOR, KAKASHI-SAN? DON'T YOU KNOW IT'S VERY UNYOUTHFUL TO LIE ON THE GROUND LIKE A SLOTHFUL OLD MAN?"

"Heh, Obito on his knees; now there's something you see every day," Asuma said.

Obito groaned and said, "Fuck…you…with…a…big…dick…"

* * *

Naruto was trembling after realizing that there may be kids just as strong as or stronger than Gaara. Sakura noticed this and smirked. '_Even my Naru-kun is scared! I'll go and comfort him and make him fall head over heels!_' she thought. She sauntered over to Naruto, adding a little switch to her step. Haku, Ino, and Hinata rolled their eyes at Sakura's disgraceful display.

"Naru-kun, no need to fear," she said as she batted her lashes.

Naruto leapt onto the nearest table, looked up and shouted to the crowd, "MY NAME IS NAMIKAZE NARUTO!!! AND I'MA WHOOP ALL OF YOUR ASSES!!! BELIEVE IT YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!!!" To add insult to injury, Naruto flipped them the bird.

Kiokure began trembling harder when all the Genin released killing intent toward Naruto. "D-D-Dude! Y-Y-You j-j-just m-m-made e-e-enemies o-o-of e-e-everyone h-h-here!" Kiokure stammered.

"So what?! It's not like they can beat me!" Naruto shouted. In the crowd, three Genin in particular were pissed at Naruto's statements.

"Should we go after him now, boss?" one said.

"No you dumbass. I feel powerful chakra heading our way. We'll bide our time and get him when he least expects it," another said. As if on cue, a large smokescreen enveloped the room. Several Chuunin, including the two who harassed Naruto downstairs, and a large man appeared in the center of the room. The man wore a black hitai-ite cap, a long black trench coat, and a grey jumpsuit underneath.

"Alright, shut the fuck up you worthless bastards. My name is Morino Ibiki, Tokubetsu Jonin, and Head of the Konohagakure no Sato ANBU Interrogation Division. I will be the proctor of the first exam," Ibiki said.

"Let's start off with the rules of the exams. Number 1: no unsanctioned fighting. That means you, Ame-nin. Any unsanctioned fights will result in immediate disqualification."

"Number 2: killing is strictly prohibited." This elicited some sighs of relief from a few of the Genin. Ibiki smirked and continued, "Except in Exam #2." The few relieved Genin once again allowed fear to grip their hearts.

"Number 3: disobey me and expect to feel immense pain. Do I make myself clear?" Ibiki half-asked, half-shouted. "Now, the first exam will be a written test."

Naruto paled and screamed, "WHAT THE FUCK?!?! A WRITTEN EXAM?!?!"

"Yeah, Namikaze, a written exam," Ibiki chuckled. Ibiki smirked and said, "Alright then, form a single file line and take a tab from this bucket."

* * *

Naruto was mentally cursing his luck for having to take part in this stupid exam. He sucked at written tests and he just knew he was going to fail and screw up Sasuke and Hinata's chance to become Chuunin. Kyo felt bad for the boy and said, _**At least it cannot get worse, Kit.**_

As if on cue, Sakura sat down to the right of Naruto, and Hinata to the left. '_Kyo-sensei, shut the hell up!_' Naruto mentally screamed. Sakura was batting her eyes at Naruto and winking and blowing kisses. Naruto sighed and thought, '_She has no shame. The funny thing too is that after a while, she'll get bored of me rejecting her and go to Sasuke to get rejected._'

_**Humans**_, said Kyo.

Ibiki walked to the front of the room and said, "Before you turn your tests over, I have something to say. Listen to me carefully because I hate to repeat myself." Ibiki walked over to the chalkboard and began writing.

"The Written Exam has a few rules," Ibiki said.

A random Genin raised his hand and said, "You already told us them."

Ibiki growled and said, "I gave the rules for the entire Chuunin Exams; these rules are separate. And speak without permission again and I'll disqualify you and your squad!"

Silence filled the room and Ibiki continued. "Rule 1: You guys will be given ten points to start. The exam has ten questions each, and each question is worth a point. This test uses a subtraction system. So, for example, if you get three questions wrong, you lose three points and end up with a total of seven."

"Rule 2: This is a team test. Whether you pass or not is determined by your squad's combined score. So each team will compete to see how many points they can hold onto from their original 30."

"Rule 3: Anyone caught doing anything sneaky, like cheating, will have two points subtracted for every offense. After being caught five times, the offender will be thrown out," Ibiki stated. Ibiki pointed to the Chuunin to his side and said, "These guys here are watching you very intently to see if you cheat, so if you decide to, be very wary."

"And finally, Rule 4: If one Genin fails, his squad mates fail too, even if they got a perfect ten. If a Genin cheats and all his points are deducted, he and his squad mates get thrown out," Ibiki said.

Hinata gasped and thought, '_Oh, no! Naruto-kun is bad at written tests! Sasuke-kun is going to kill him if he fails!_'

Sasuke banged his head on the desk and thought, '_We are SOOOOOOOOOO screwed._'

Naruto began trembling harder than Kiokure and thought, '_I feel like an emo with black hair wants to slit my throat from ear to ear…_'

"The exam lasts for one hour," Ibiki said. "Begin!"

* * *

Naruto flipped his test over and began scanning the questions. He was thoroughly disgusted by what he read.

Decode this cryptogram.

This graph shows the greatest distance an average Chuunin can throw a shuriken in any direction provide that there is no weather conditions that say otherwise. For enemies who appear in the circumference of the shuriken's range, explain all possible attack options. Show your work.

You are attempting to flee and use a powerful A-Rank Genjutsu to aid in your escape. Approximately how much chakra would you need to execute the jutsu?

You use four high level Ninjutsu in rapid succession and you become stricken with severe chakra exhaustion. Approximately how much time do you have before you die?

Suppose a medic-nin gets to you just moments before you are to die. Approximately how much chakra would he need to use to save you?

Suppose you are assigned to protect a diplomat from a hypothetical village. You discover that he is really in (add Hidden Village here) to steal information. How do you handle him?

You are sent to a hypothetical village to meet with their leader. In the process, you anger him greatly. How do you appease his anger?

Why are Kinjutsu considered to be illegal?

What is the penalty for using Kinjutsu?

'_It's ok Naruto! You've been in countless dangerous missions where you may have died! You can handle a little ol' test!_' Naruto thought. Naruto's smile slowly faded away and was replaced with sheer agony. '_THIS IS REALLY BAD!!!!!_' thought Naruto.

_**Kit, calm down! Do you not see the point of the test?**_

'_Don't you fucking tell me to calm down! I'll fucking fail and Sasuke will kill me!_' Naruto mentally shouted at the old Kitsune.

_**Listen, you baka! The whole point of the test is to cheat! These questions are impossible to answer without aid. You have to cheat and cheat without being caught, much like a ninja would have to steal information without getting caught. They want to know how good your espionage skills are.**_

'……………_Oh,_' thought Naruto. '_Well, how the hell am I going to do that?_'

_**I swear, sometimes I cannot believe you. I am a millennium old; I know all these things! I am going to give you the answers.**_

Naruto's trademark Kitsune Grin spread across his face as he whispered aloud, "Fire away, Kyo-sensei!"

* * *

Sasuke had too realized the nature of the exam. He focused his chakra into his eyes and his Sharingan awakened. Sasuke looked at the ninja on his right and left and began copying their answers. It was easy for him; his Sharingan helped him mimic what they wrote and he copied it to his paper.

All around the room, other ninja were using inventive ways to cheat. Some were successful in their endeavors; others were expelled from the exam, along with their pissed teammates.

Gaara made a hand seal and then held his right hand out. Sand appeared seemingly from nowhere and formed an eye. "Daisan no Me (_The Third Eye_)!" The eye rose and floated around the room at a high speed, gathering information and spreading it between Kankuro, Temari, and him.

Kiba had used Akamaru to view other people's exams, and then communicate their answers via barks. Shino summoned a few bugs and used them to spy on the other Genin.

Tenten used mirrors and lights to communicate her and other's answers with Lee. Neji and Hinata used his Byakugan to view the proctors' answer sheets.

Satsu sighed and linked his mind to one of the Chuunin. '_I figure these guys have the answers in here somewhere._' After Satsu fished the answers out of his head, he then sent them to Haku and Kiokure, who wasted no time writing them down.

Sakura was the only person who answered all the questions based on her own knowledge. And that was just what Ino was waiting for. She made several hand seals before whispering, "Shintenshin no Jutsu (_Mind-Body Transfer Technique_)!" Ino's head slammed into the desk as she entered Sakura's mind. After memorizing her answers, she hopped into Shikamaru and Choji's minds and gave them the answers before returning to her own.

By now, 45 minutes had gone by. Ibiki cleared his throat and said, "As you may have noticed, the test is missing a 10th question. I will now reveal that question to you.

"But first, there are some new rules to adhere to. Rule 1: You can choose whether or not you wish to answer the question. Should you refuse, your points will be reduced to zero, and you fail."

Kiba shouted, "Of course we'll take it! What kind of bullshit is that?"

Ibiki growled and said, "Rule 2: Should you answer the question incorrectly………you will be barred from ever taking these exams again."

Kiba leapt up and replied angrily, "That's bullshit and you know it! There are guys here who took the exam a dozen times!"

Ibiki smirked and shot back, "This year, it's my rules. I actually pity you bastards……a little bit. But I'll be benevolent. You can quit now, and still take the exams next year. Who wants out?" Genin stood up left and right and bolted for the door. After about five minutes, the outflow stopped.

Ibiki chuckled and said, "We started this exam with 333 3-man squads, or 999 Genin. We're down to 26 squads now. How pathetic." Naruto suddenly stood up. Ibiki was a bit shocked; while he didn't know anything about Naruto, he had heard that the boy was very determined, in fact stubborn. He had high hopes for him; to see him giving up disappointed him.

"You think you're so slick!" shouted Naruto. This caught Ibiki off guard even more. "You purposely held the tenth question from us to use as a way to scare away most of the Genin, making it harder for us to steal information! Hell, is there even a tenth question?"

Everyone was shocked Naruto came to this conclusion on his own, even Kyo. _**Did I tell you that, Kit? I know I had to have said something like that to you…**_

Ibiki's face showed his shock, and he said, "I guess stretching this any longer would be pointless. I congratulate you bastards on passing the first test!

"The point of this test was to first test your ability to gather information undetected, as many of you have done. To make it easier on you guys, we placed some Chuunin in the crowd who knew all the answers.

"Secondly, the rules were designed to put pressure on each of you to do well so as to not let down your comrades, a handy trait to have in an actual battle.

"The third part of the exam is to gather pertinent information…………and not get caught," Ibiki said as he removed his hitai-ite. Horrible burns, scars, and screw holes adorned his bald head. "Getting caught with important information………can ruin you, physically and mentally."

"But," Ibiki said as he re-tied his hitai-ite, "The true nature of the exam comes in the form of question ten. When you become a Chuunin, you'll be faced with many moments of doubt. 'Should I do this or shouldn't I?' Taking that leap of faith, risking everything to get your mission done, that's what it means to be an officer, to be a Chuunin," Ibiki said.

"You've all passed the first exam. I wish you luck," Ibiki said as he and his cohorts vanished in a plume of smoke.

Suddenly, a figure crashed through the window. It was a female with purple hair and beige eyes. She wore a coat like Ibiki's, except in beige, a fishnet shirt underneath, a beige skirt, and fishnet stockings. All the boys blushed at seeing this provocatively dressed, beautiful woman. Until things got crazy.

She pulled a grey scroll out of her pocket and opened it. She made some hand seals and smoke covered her body. Suddenly, a hail of shuriken and kunai burst from the smoke and aimed themselves at all the Genin! Everyone scrambled to dodge, deflect, and hide from the onslaught. Eventually, the storm passed and the woman stepped out of the smoke.

"My name is Mitarashi Anko, Tokubetsu Jonin of Konoha, and I'll be the proctor of the second exam!"

* * *

Next Time: _This chick is crazy! She's purposely trying to get us hurt so she can get off! And now we have to take our second exam…………WHICH TAKES PLACE IN TRAINING GROUND #44!!! _

_Doubutsuen no Makai [__**7**__]! The Second Exam is Arriving [__**8**__]!_

* * *

1- I thought Kiba would be a good rival for Naruto because they both have strong ties to the canine family (Kiba and his dogs and Naruto being a mythical fox demon).

2- Satsu and Sasuke are very much alike. They're both emos, vain, insensitive, and have a heart of gold hidden under their facades (I do believe that Sasuke has some good in him, even after all he's done in Shippuden). I made them rivals because there is only room for one ego in my story lol.

3- Haku was beaten half to death by an angry Naruto. She faded out when Hinata called Naruto a monster, so she just knows that Naruto is hurting Hinata's feelings.

4- I always imagined Kiba as a player (maybe because of his clan's dog fetish I assumed he was a dog lol) and this will be a very key element in the series.

5- Naruto maybe a bijuu, but Kiokure is definitely the strongest Genin there and possibly the strongest human character in my story. As you'll see in a few chapters, Kiokure possesses the ultimate offense and defense. His lack of confidence is the only thing keeping him from unlocking his potential. I have great things planned for Kiokure.

6- Rin's reasoning behind this isn't just because Obito was making crude remarks. If you're not sure why, you need to read chapter 1 again.

7- Doubutsuen no Makai means the Zoo of Hell.

8- Arriving is Anko's favorite phrase, at least, according to my handy-dandy Naruto official handbooks.


	13. Chuunin Exams IV

Shingen Takeda 1521- Nononono you have it wrong my friend. Haku doesn't know at all about what Hinata said because she briefly passed out in the fight and Hinata never told her. You'll see soon why she cares so much, but to her, it looks like Naruto is being mean for no reason. Haku means well, she's just misguided. And yes, I want to end this quickly; it's getting boring now that there's no dialogue between them.

Narutos vixen- Sort of but you know I have to twist things to suit my story.

* * *

_Doubutsuen no Makai! The Second Exam is Arriving!_

* * *

The remaining 26 Genin squads stood in front of a large forest. It was probably the creepiest thing in Hi no Kuni. The large trees had bark that was so dark it almost looked black. The branches hung low like drooping arms. Inside of the forest, the doom of pitch black waited to grip the hearts of the young ninja and instill paranoia deep within their souls.

Naruto shivered slightly as he gazed at the entrance to the forest. '_I never thought I'd be allowed into Training Ground #44, not that I ever really wanted to go there,_' thought the blonde Kitsune.

Kyo laughed and replied, _**Back in my day this place was known as Doubutsuen no Makai (**_The Zoo of Hell_**). It was a nice place.**_

'_What's a nice place to you?_' asked Naruto as he cautiously eyed the forest.

_**Oh, plenty of demons, especially Kumochi and Ookami [**__1__**]. And the Kama no Makai was a wonderful place to take your date. A large crevasse filled with molten hot lava: the perfect place for coitus.**_

'_Figures…and what the hell is coitus?_' asked Naruto.

_***Chuckle* When you are old enough, Kit.**_

"Hey!" shouted Anko. Naruto looked at her with a "who me?" expression. "Yeah you, blondie! Mind paying attention to me? I'm about to explain the exam to you.

"This place is called many names. In the old days, it was called Doubutsuen no Makai. Demons resided here about a millennium ago; they mated with regular animals and left behind a whole host of yokai-empowered creatures."

Naruto crossed his arms; he was not impressed. "Bah, this just sounds like some old hag tryna scare that crap outta us," Naruto replied.

Anko smiled at the blonde Kitsune and said, "You're pretty spirited blondie!" She suddenly flung a kunai at Naruto, cutting his cheek. The kunai embedded itself in the earth less than a centimeter away from a tall, long haired, Kusa-nin. Anko suddenly appeared behind and she whispered in his ear, "Mmmmm, I smell your blood. It's so yummy." Anko stuck her unhumanly long tongue out and licked at his blood. She was shocked to discover that the cut was gone [_**2**_]. If it wasn't for the fact that she licked his blood, she wouldn't believe she injured him at all.

Everyone watching the scene was slightly disgusted, but the boys were a tad jealous that the hot, crazy chick was licking Naruto like that. Suddenly, Anko stopped and turned around. The same Kusa-nin held out her kunai for her to retrieve…………with his tongue.

"You missss placed your kunai, my dear," he said with a hiss.

Anko smiled and took it from him. "Don't sneak up behind me again unless you want to die," Anko apologized.

The man laughed and replied, "My apologiessss, but the ssssight of red blood alwayssss excitessss me." He then turned to Naruto and said, "Do you mind if I take a lick?"

Naruto screamed, "NO YOU FUCKING QUEER!!!" Everyone laughed at the scene as Naruto put as much distance between him and the Kusa-nin as possible.

Anko smiled and thought, '_I could use a guy with a tongue that long………but something about you is familiar………nah, I would remember that tongue._'

Regaining her composure, Anko said, "Ok, time to explain the second exam. Basically, this is the ultimate test of your survival skills. First I should explain the terrain.

"The forest used to be a lot bigger, but now it's about 11,000 yards in circumference. There's a large river that flows directly through the forest, and a large watchtower directly in the center of the grounds.

"Now, using your weapons, jutsu, and wit, you all will participate in a no-holds barred scroll battle. You will be fighting for these counterfeit Tentou and Tsuchi scrolls. Only the squads that bring both scrolls to the watchtower will move on to the final exam.

"Each squad will be given one or the other scroll. You will all be released into the forest at different starting points," Anko said as her Chuunin helpers gave each squad a scroll.

"The test has a time limit. You have five days to get back to me at the watchtower with the two scrolls. If you only have your scroll by the end of the five days, you fail. Also, your squad will be disqualified if one of your members dies during the five days. And once you go in, there's no coming out for five days. And opening your scroll before you get inside of the tower results in immediate disqualification and a nasty surprise. Is that understood?"

Everyone nodded. Anko smiled and dramatically said, "Then let the Second Part of the Chuunin Exams………………Begin!"

* * *

Squad 7 was running through the Doubutsuen, searching for a Tsuchi scroll. Naruto had summoned an army of Hedoro, Seishou, Kage, and Genn'ei Bunshin to canvass the forest in search of a squad with the scroll.

Sasuke turned to Naruto and said, "Hey dobe, what's wrong?"

Naruto replied, "About two kilometers away, I feel a powerful, dark chakra heading towards us."

"It's probably one of those hanyou creatures," Sasuke said.

"No, it's human," said Naruto. "But the chakra is so vile, it might as well be a demon."

Sasuke cursed under his breath and said, "It's gotta be that Gaara guy. He's the only other demon here, right?"

Naruto sighed, then replied, "We'll find out soon enough."

* * *

Squad 8 walked through the forest casually, as if death didn't loom around every corner. Three, black-clad Ame-nin [_**3**_] were quietly trailing the carefree squad.

Shino held up his hand and Kiba and Sakura stopped walking. "I was thinking, maybe we should head to the tower and set some traps. It may be wiser for us to wait for one of the squads that gathers both scrolls to head for the tower."

The Ame-nin's captain signal his two comrades to prepare to attack. He noticed one of them had turned blue and was shaking uncontrollably. "Hey Nando, what's wrong with—"

A large black leech had attached itself to Nando's neck and had begun feasting on his blood. Before the captain and his comrades could utter a cry, a horde of leeches attached themselves to the ninja. In seconds the ninja fell from the tree, all but the captain dead.

"Those demons that attacked you are known as Konohagakure Hiru (_Hidden Leaf Leeches_). They can leap onto unsuspecting prey and kill them in seconds. You must be very powerful if you're still breathing. However, you won't be for much longer," Shino said as he pulled his kunai out.

The captain's screams filled the air.

* * *

Squad 7 had stopped to catch their breath. Naruto could no longer feel the evil presence, so he and Sasuke decided it was wise to just relax for a moment. Suddenly, screams filled the air, causing the three to go into high alert.

"What direction and how far away were those screams, dobe?" asked Sasuke.

Naruto listened and said, "About three kilometers to the west."

Sasuke sighed and replied, "That means we have about ten minutes before they reach us. We should get moving."

Hinata blushed and looked at the ground. Sasuke turned to her and said, "Hinata-chan, what's wrong?"

"I, uh, um, have to, uh, use the bathroom," she quietly said.

Sasuke sighed and said, "There's a secluded space under the roots of the tree. You can go there and I'll make sure short, blonde, and gruesome here steers clear."

Naruto growled out in response, "You don't need to waste the energy, bastard." Hinata cast her eyes down to avoid Naruto and scurried under the tree.

The two rivals sat in awkward silence as the sound of Hinata's bathroom trip filled the air. To break the silence, Sasuke bashfully asked, "Uh, seen any good movies lately?"

Hinata walked out from under the tree and said, "Ok, I'm done Sasuke-kun. We should get going or else we might get caught."

Naruto sniffed and smelled rainwater. He quickly unsheathed the Ierokitsune and sliced Hinata's arm off. Sasuke looked at Naruto like he had lost his damn mind and shouted, "I know you guys are having a lovers' spout but damn!"

Naruto shot back, "This person smells like rain; Hinata-chan always smells like lavender!"

"Hinata" screamed in agony as her henge failed, revealing a boy with long, unruly black hair, a breathing mask and goggles, and a white jumpsuit. He groaned one last time before his life spilled onto the grass with his blood.

Sasuke leapt into the air and made a quick stream of hand seals before shouting, "Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu (_Fire Release: Phoenix Immortal Fire Technique_)!" A volley of fireballs collided with the earth, creating very small explosions upon impact. Two more boys, both dressed like the first, rushed at Naruto and Sasuke.

Sasuke and his target locked kunai blades and Sasuke leapt away. The boy flung his kunai at Sasuke, who expertly plucked it out of the air. Unfortunately for our favorite raven-haired avenger, an explosive note was both attached and activated. The resulting explosion flung Sasuke a few feet away. The boy got behind Sasuke and prepared to stab him in the neck. Suddenly, a bloody, severed head crashed into his own, allowing Sasuke to reach behind him and snapped the remaining boy's neck.

Naruto walked over to Sasuke and said, "That was easy!" As if on cue, the bodies transformed into dolls covered in explosive notes. A large explosion engulfed Naruto, Sasuke, and the tree Hinata was trapped under.

The three boys walked into the clearing and searched for their bodies. The boy who had posed as Hinata cursed and said, "They got away!"

* * *

A few yards away, Squad 7 sat high in a tree, panting from the battle and the escape. Sasuke growled at Naruto and said, "Guujin Bunshin (_Doll Clones_)[_**4**_]! You just had to open your big mouth!"

Naruto grinned as he stepped out of the tree's shadow. His irises were yellow spirals, similar to Kakashi's own eyes. "Relax! With the Kaiten Me, I'll be too fast for any of these guys to catch!"

Hinata spoke up for the first time, saying, "Maybe we should make a codeword in case something like this happens again."

Naruto was quick to snottily reply, "Maybe we shouldn't let our enemies catch us with our pants down!"

Sasuke growled and said, "Knock it off, dobe! She has a good point! If we get separated again, we need a codeword in case someone tries to pull a henge on us. Do you remember the Will of Fire song? I'll…"

At this point, Naruto had stopped listening and began to think of other things. He hadn't even noticed the bamboo pipe sticking out of the ground behind Sasuke.

_**Hey Kit, should you not be paying attention so you do not give Sasuke a reason to kill you?**_

'_Mmmmmmmm donuts,_' thought Naruto.

Suddenly, smoke began to pour form the tip of the bamboo pipe. Squad 7 jumped onto a tree as the smoke became heavier. A dainty, almost feminine laughter filled the air. The three Kusa-nin walked out of the cloud. Their leader, the one who wanted to lick Naruto's face, turned to his teammates and said, "You guyssss can go find ssssomeone elsssse to kill. Thesssse bratssss are mine!" The two other nin wordlessly vanished in the smoke.

The Kusa-nin grabbed his kunai and flung it directly at Naruto. He made a hand seal and shouted, "Kunai Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (_Shadow Kunai Clone Technique_)!" The kunai multiplied into hundreds of knives and the Genin were forced to separate from each other to stay alive.

Sasuke landed on the ground and rolled until he was back-to-back with Naruto. "Naruto, sing the Will of Fire song!" Naruto turned and sung the song in perfect harmony. Sasuke smirked, and then stabbed him in his neck. "Naruto is a fucking dobe; he doesn't even know our national anthem, and I knew he wouldn't be listening anyway!"

"Naruto" exploded in smoke, and the Kusa-nin came from his hiding place with a sinister smile on his face. "You're not tired or ill-prepared………thissss will be fun!" He began making hand seals and shouted, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu (_Summoning Technique_)!"

A large explosion of smoke obscured Sasuke and Hinata's vision. A loud hissing filled the air, and a massive, brown snake lunged at them. They narrowly avoided being swallowed whole. Naruto came running out of the bushes, with his blade shining with golden yokai. "Oni Bijutsu: Shinigami Choukokubutsu Debabouchou (_Demon Art: The Deity of Death's Carving Knife_)[_**5**_]!" Using his Kaiten Me, Naruto moved at inhuman speeds around the snake. He stopped literally a second later, and the snake exploded into a mass of blood and flesh.

The Kusa-nin clapped his hands and removed his straw hat, revealing a feminine face. He was holding a brown scroll and said, "You bratssss need a Tssssuchi sssscroll, right?" He held the scroll to his lips, unhinged his mouth, and swallowed the scroll whole, much to the youngsters disgust. "Then, we shall fight……_**to the death!**_"

Suddenly, Sasuke and Hinata couldn't move. The killing intent this guy released was so vile, much more so than Zabuza's own. Naruto was the only one unaffected, due to his yokai protecting him. His teammates collapsed on the ground and began vomiting uncontrollably.

"What did you do to them, you freak?" shouted Naruto.

"I'm hurt Namikazzzze Naruto-ssssan, you called me out of my name," the Kusa-nin said.

Sasuke, in the meantime had gotten over his paralysis, and shouted, "Naruto! Don't be a dobe! We can't fight him on our own, we have to—"

Naruto smirked at Sasuke and said, "What's wrong? Are you scared, bitch?"

Sasuke growled, "You fucking idiot! We can't kill or even scratch this guy! We'll be killed in no time!"

"I'd rather die than run!" Naruto shot back.

Sasuke pulled the Tentou Scroll from his pouch and said, "Here! Take the scroll and leave us!"

Naruto's eyes widened in shock. He couldn't believe Sasuke was about to give up, to just throw away their chance at becoming officers! Sasuke tossed the scroll toward the deranged man. Naruto gulped and thought, '_I've never tried hitting a moving target before!_' He stared at scroll and focused his chakra on it. In an instant, he grabbed the scroll and rolled on the ground.

Sasuke screamed in anger, "Do you fucking understand what you've just done? You signed all of our death warrants! Give me that—" Naruto punched Naruto in the face, sending him flying into a nearby tree. "What. The. Fuck!" shouted an angry Sasuke.

"You can't be the real Sasuke! The real Sasuke wouldn't surrender with his tail between his legs! The real Sasuke is neither stupid nor a coward! What guarantee do you have he'll let us go by handing the scroll over? You're the one who doesn't understand his actions!"

The Kusa-nin chuckled and said, "Naruto-kun issss right. I wassss jusssst going to kill you anyway." He summoned another snake and said, "I can't wait to drink your blood!"

Naruto growled and rushed at the man. "Shut the fuck up!" he screamed as he leapt at the snake, the glowing Ierokitsune raised high above his head.

The Kusa-nin began making hand seals, slammed his palms on top of the snake, and shouted, "Doton: Kuroganebensssso no Jutssssu (_Earth Release: Iron Defense Technique_)[_**6**_]!" The snake's skin slowly turned into metal and with a loud roar-like hiss, slapped Naruto away with his metallic tail. Naruto went straight through a tree and crashed into the tree behind it. The snake slammed its tail into Naruto again. The Kitsune slammed his blade into the tail to keep it from completely crushing him. The tail wrapped around Naruto and dropped him straight into its mouth. The snake suddenly coughed up blood and spat up the red liquid, along with Naruto and half of its tongue.

'_The demon brat issss powerful………I can't wait to exterminate him!_' the Kusa-nin thought. He made hand seals and shouted, "Ninpou: Ssssuppaikokyuu (_Ninja Art: Acid Breath Technique_)[_**7**_]!" He exhaled a foul, acrid, green mist. Naruto leapt high above the mist, kicked off a tree, and once again tried to hit him.

Making another set of hand seals, the Kusa-nin slammed his palms into the snake's head and shouted, "Ninpou: Dokussssenbon no Jutssssu (_Ninja Art: Poison Senbon Technique_)[_**8**_]!" The snake opened its mouth and fired off a volley of purple needles at Naruto.

The blonde Kitsune began twirling the Ierokitsune and shouted, "Oni Bijutsu: Onifuusha (_Demon Art: Demon Windmill_)[_**9**_]!" A large twister of yellow yokai flung the senbon to random parts of the forest and collided with the snake, flipping him onto his back. Naruto smirked when the snake stopped moving and began sniffing for the Kusa-nin.

Suddenly, the man leapt out of the ground and stabbed Naruto with a senbon. Naruto began to lose feeling in his legs and collapsed on the ground. The Kusa-nin held a thin chokuto above his head and said, "Time to die you foul demon!"

* * *

Anko was eating her lunch, which consisted of fruit punch and dango, happily daydreaming of things that made her happy, like disembowelment, blood, and mayhem. One of her stupid Chuunin helpers had to come and ruin her daydream by blabbering about dead bodies. Anko sighed and followed the hysterical officer.

"This is what I was trying to tell you, Anko-san!" he said. "They're from Kusagakure no Sato, and their faces are gone! Almost as if—"

"Someone…stole…it," Anko said slowly as she put two and two together. '_The long tongue, the bloodlust, and now this. Sensei has returned!_' She turned to the Chuunin and said, "Go alert the Yondaime. I'm going into the forest!" Before the Chuunin could talk her out of it, she was gone.

* * *

The mysterious ninja paused, then flipped Naruto over onto his back. Purple energy surrounded each of his fingers and he slammed it into Naruto's stomach. "Gogyo Fuin (_Five Elements Seal_)!" he shouted.

Immense pain coursed through Naruto's entire body as he tried his hardest to summon yokai to defend himself. He felt his power waning and massive fatigue engulfed Naruto's body. '_Kyo-sensei, what's happening to me?_' Naruto frantically thought.

_**That bastard sealed away your yokai! There is only one ninja in the world I know of who can do this. His name is………………**_

Naruto's eyes widened and he said aloud, "Orochimaru!"

Orochimaru giggled and said, "Lookssss like my identity hassss been revealed. Now I really have to make ssssure I kill you all!" He turned around and stared at Hinata malevolently. He licked his lips and lunged at her.

* * *

Time seemed to freeze for everything except Sasuke. He looked around, trying to determine how this could be. The raven-haired avenger would soon get his answer.

"You're so weak Sasuke," a voice said from behind the boy. He spun around and saw a man standing in the shadows. Sasuke couldn't make out his face, all he could see was the man's eyes. "I thought that maybe one day, you would be strong enough to face me. Instead, I see you'll never be strong enough," the man said as he pointed to his head, "to lay a scratch on my forehead."

* * *

Orochimaru was quickly bridging the gap between him and the Hyuuga, who was still frozen in fear from his killing intent assault. A sudden kick to the head forced him to roll across the forest ground.

"*Giggle* Looks like your Uchiha blood has finally begun to boil!" Orochimaru said as he prepared to summon another snake. Sasuke had other plans. He quickly grabbed some kunai and flung them at Orochimaru. The snake master nimbly dodged them and vanished.

'_I can see him!_' thought Sasuke as he grabbed a Fuuma shuriken and threw it at Orochimaru, who has trying to attack from Sasuke's rear. He leapt over the shuriken, then quickly moved his head to avoid another kunai.

It was then that Orochimaru realized that there was string attached to the weapons. Sasuke yanked the string, which brought all of the weapons into Orochimaru's back and neck. Sasuke made another hand seal and shouted, "Katon: Ryuka no Jutsu (_Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique_)!"

A massive stream of fire ran down the wire in Sasuke's mouth and set Orochimaru on ablaze. Sasuke watched with triumphant satisfaction as Orochimaru writhed and screamed in agony before finally becoming still. Hinata finally snapped out of her trance, and Sasuke rushed over to her.

"Hinata! See if you can wake up Naruto! I'm going to get the scroll!" said Sasuke. Hinata weakly nodded and ran to Naruto. Sasuke turned to Orochimaru's body, or rather, where his body had been.

"To be able to usssse the Ssssharingan sssso well at ssssuch a young age issss quite impressssssssive," Orochimaru said. He was holding Hinata, with his chokuto pressed against her neck. His face had burned off revealing his true visage. Orochimaru's skin was as white as snow; his yellow, almond shaped eyes were filled to the brim with depravity.

"You are a true Uchiha. Ssssassssuke-kun, you sssshould ssssmile; you will become the vessssssssel of a god!" he shouted. Deciding to have a little fun, Orochimaru said, "You would make a much more ssssuitable hosssst than Itachi would have."

Sasuke's eyes widen and he shouted back, "How do you know Itachi?"

Orochimaru smirked and said, "We were bussssinesssssssss partnerssss long ago." Orochimaru tossed Hinata away like trash and spat up the Tsuchi scroll. He held it out and said, "If you want the power you seek to desssstroy Itachi, sssseek me and I sssshall besssstow it upon you."

Orochimaru tossed the scroll to Sasuke, who caught it easily. The snake master made a quick hand seal, and his neck elongated and lunged at Sasuke. He bit down hard on Sasuke's neck, and watched as three black tomoe appeared on his neck. Sasuke's agonizing screams seemed to excite the pale man.

"Enjoy the gift that your god hassss given you. And when you do sssseek me out, I expect you to worsssship me!" Orochimaru's body became covered in black smoke, and he sunk into the earth. Sasuke dropped to his knees, and darkness slowly overtook him.

* * *

Next Time: _Oh, my Kami! Naruto and Sasuke are unconscious and the Sound Trio is here to kill them. I'm powerful but I can't take them on by myself. Thank Kami that you came! _

_Viral Infection! Protect Naruto and Sasuke!_

* * *

1- I'm using the Japanese names of animals for demon names in my story. Kumochi means blood spider and Ookami means wolf.

2- This was my way of showcasing that Naruto is getting stronger with his yokai. My guess would be he's strong enough to give some powerful guys a bit of trouble.

3- I know in the manga these guys were Konoha-nin, but I agree with the animators: don't kill your fellow villagers! So I made them Ame-nin like in the anime.

4- Guujin Bunshin no Jutsu (_Doll Clone Technique_): The user summons a doll from an item scroll, and then uses chakra string to animate it, similar to a puppet. The dolls can be filled with red dye to give off the illusion of blood, or covered with explosive notes to make great suicide bombers.

5- Oni Bijutsu: Shinigami Choukokubutsu Debabouchou (_Demon Art: The Deity of Death's Carving Knife_): A powerful technique that relies on yokai to increase the cutting power of a sharp object (sword, kunai, shuriken, etc.). A demon with extreme speed can make this technique unavoidable.

6- Doton: Kuroganebenso no Jutsu (_Earth Release: Iron Defense Technique_): This technique refines the user's Doton chakra and allows the user to turn anything they touch into metal momentarily. The famed Sanin Jiraiya is exceptionally skilled with this technique; he can turn his own body into steel without using much chakra.

7- Ninpou: Suppaikokyuu no Jutsu (_Ninja Art: Acid Breath Technique_): This technique refines the user's Suiton chakra, allowing him to generate acid. Then, using Katon, the acid is vaporized and exhaled as a mist strong enough to erode anything caught in its path.

8- Ninpou: Dokusenbon no Jutsu (_Ninja Art: Poison Senbon Technique_): The user creates needles of chakra infused with poison to attack their foes. The famed Sanin Orochimaru can transfer these needles to his snake summons.

9- Oni Bijutsu: Onifuusha (_Demon Art: Demon Windmill_): The user twirls something in front of them (a sword, staff, nun chucks, etc.) and generates a powerful, yokai-infused twister.


	14. Chuunin Exams V

Narutos vixen- Rejoice, my faithful reviewer! This marks the end of the Naruto-Hinata rift! Next chapter, they have a long talk.

Shingen Takeda 1521- After the prelims, I have a whole chapter dedicated to Minato that I've been working on for a while. He's going to learn that you can't blame yourself for things out of your control.

* * *

_Viral Infection! Protect Naruto and Sasuke! _

* * *

To say Hyuuga Hinata was having a bad day was the understatement of the year. She couldn't sleep, her little sister used up all the hot water, she missed breakfast, she had to take a ridiculous exam, her best friend was shunning her, and a giant snake man tried to kill her and her teammates. And to top it off, said teammates were both unconscious. Hinata was literally a second away from cutting her hair off [**_1_**].

Right now, the Hyuuga heiress was shaking both boys, trying to wake them up. Nothing could budge the two boys. She tried Juken slaps, smelling salts, even screaming in their ears. Both boys remained eerily still, almost as if they were dead. When she realized it was hopeless, her tactical mind seemed to awaken.

'_Ok Hinata, calm down and relax. There has to be something you can do in the meantime. Um………wait I got it!_' she thought as she leapt up and began dragging the two boys, gently so as to not leave any disturbances in the ground.

* * *

Anko leapt through the trees, looking for Orochimaru. The sun was beginning to set, and she had yet to find her sensei. '_I need to find him before it gets dark. It's not fair he can fucking see in the dark. But, why show your face now, Orochimaru?_

"It doesn't matter. He taught me, and I'll make sure that if I can't kill him, there's barely anything left for the ANBU to kill!

"Isn't that right, sensei?" Anko said as Orochimaru rose from the ground.

"Ahhh, young Anko-chan, sssstill assss vibrant assss ever," Orochimaru said. He vanished, then reappeared behind Anko. Orochimaru snaked his hand over to her breast and cupped it. "Do you remember all the fun we ussssed to have? [_**2**_]"

Anko winced and spat at him, "You're still a sick freak."

Orochimaru smirked as he pulled his chokuto from his throat and said, "Let me show you how sick I truly am!" He tried to slash Anko's throat, but like a snake, she slipped out of his hold. She leapt away from him and threw three senbon at Orochimaru. The snake master moved his long neck, then thrust his long tongue at Anko's arm. The purple haired woman grabbed his tongue and pointed her slender arm at him.

"Sen'eijashu (_Hidden Shadow Snake Hands_)!"she shouted as her sleeve began to move. Hundreds of snakes shot out and wrapped themselves around Orochimaru's tongue. With a loud grunt, she yanked her former master and slammed him into a tree. She yanked his tongue again, bringing his body parallel to hers. Anko grabbed his hand and made some hand seals. Orochimaru recognized the jutsu immediately.

"Sojasosai no—"

"Oh my, Anko-chan. All that for a clone?" Orochimaru asked as he exploded into a pile of mud. Orochimaru touched her neck, and made a hand seal. Anko screamed in pain and fell on to her knees. Orochimaru flipped her on her back and licked at her lips. "I've been gone for thirteen years and you're so frosty. Is it because," Orochimaru said as he cut open Anko's shirt, "that you miss what I could do for you?"

Anko spat in his eye and asked, "Have you come for Minato-sama?"

Orochimaru giggled and said, "No, at least not yet. I need ssssome ssssoldierssss sssso I thought I'd borrow ssssome Leaf-nin. I jusssst gave one boy a curssssed sssseal that matchessss the one on your lovely neck."

Anko growled and replied, "Poor kid, he's gonna die. If I remember well, there's only a 1/10 chance of surviving, right? You must really like him; bet you can't wait to fuck him."

"In due time, love. But I detect a wee bit of jealoussssy. I did throw you away after I had my fun," Orochimaru said as he bit into Anko's nipple. He slowly removed his teeth and continued, "He'ssss much more talented at hissss age then you were, and he'ssss gorgeoussss. He'll make a perfect hosssst for me."

Orochimaru suddenly tensed as he felt a powerful energy signature heading his way. He stood up and said, "Don't end the examssss too early; if I don't get to enjoy it, I will desssstroy the Leaf." In a second, he was gone.

Anko scrambled to button up her jacket. The whole ordeal left her unnerved, and the last thing she needed was to be found nearly raped and half naked in the forest. "Anko! What happened?"

The purple-haired snake mistress turned around to see Obito standing behind her. "I felt Orochimaru's chakra, but it vanished," the Uchiha said as he pulled Anko into a hug. Anko yanked herself free and walked up a little bit. "Anko," Obito said. She turned around and Obito continued, "As long as I can breathe, Orochimaru will never touch you again. I promise that so long as you love me, I will always…"

Despite her usual tough demeanor, Anko smiled and said, "You'll always what?"

Obito grinned and said, "Protect you from harm."

"You're so corny."

"But you love me anyway."

* * *

Squad 6 sat in the hollow of a tree that they deemed their base of operations. They spent the first day gathering food (Satsu's job), water (Haku's job), and intelligence (Kiokure's job). As they finished up their dinner, Satsu decided to speak up.

"The sun'll be up in less than an hour. We should attack now; most squads are resting," Satsu said as he removed two canisters from his pouch. Using his telekinetic powers, Satsu unscrewed the caps and made the blue ink inside rush to Haku and Kiokure's arm. It ran along their arm until it formed the kanji for help.

"Scout the area for thirty minutes and if you find a team with a Tentou scroll or need help, just get a bit of your blood on the seal and the rest of us will be there to help. If you don't find anything," Satsu said as he made a small impression on the tree bark, "return here. The first person here should activate the seal to get the other two here quicker. Understood?" Haku and Kiokure nodded. Satsu smirked and said, "Squad 6, move out!" The three Genin leapt out of the hollow and ran in three separate directions.

* * *

Hinata sighed as she watched over the two comatose boys. She had taken careful measures to drag them both under the tree she had peed under earlier. All Hinata was hoping for was for Naruto and Sasuke to awaken quickly so that they could go to the tower.

"Guh…don't do it…" Sasuke softly murmured. He was in a fever-like state and would occasionally murmur that same line over and over. Naruto was eerily quiet. Hinata made sure to keep a vigilant watch with her Byakugan; she could see the three ninja spying on her.

* * *

The leader of the bunch had a heavily bandaged face with only one, black eye exposed. He wore a grey shirt, a grey and black camouflage scarf, a fox pelt on his back, and pants that matched his scarf. He had two large, mechanical devices that appeared surgically attached to his arm.

The boy on his right had long, spiky black hair and matching eyes. He wore a dark yellow shirt with the kanji for sound on it, and the same scarf and pants his captain wore.

And finally, a girl stood to the left of the captain. She had long, flowing black hair and black eyes. She wore an army green vest and the same scarf and pants as her comrades.

The captain spoke up finally and said, "Lord Orochimaru was right; they make easy prey. And they have the Tsuchi scroll we need to advance."

The girl spoke up and said, "Dosu baby, Lord Orochimaru said to kill Uchiha Sasuke at daybreak. It's only fifteen minutes away."

The other boy spoke up and said, "Kin, shut the hell up!" He turned to Dosu and said, "If the other two try to be brave, can I kill them?"

Dosu chuckled and said, "Why wait for them to throw away their life when we can take it, Zaku?"

* * *

"Ok, fifteen minutes are up!" Dosu quietly said. He and his comrades stood up to prepare their assault. Suddenly, a kunai with a piece of paper attached to it came flying from outside of the tree.

"Explosive note!" shouted Zaku as they scattered to avoid the explosion. What came next was a shock to them; the note detonated and they were blinded by a bright light. Dosu calmed his breathing and listened for something out of the ordinary. He could her Hinata running toward him and raised his left arm to block her Juken strike. The metal prevented her from sealing any of his tenketsu. He smacked Hinata with the gauntlet and sent her sprawling across the ground.

"You have to do better than that if you want to kill me!" Dosu said smugly as he raised his foot.

"Wait!" Dosu stopped his foot and waited for Hinata to speak. "If you're going to fight………fight the real me!" she shouted as her body dissolved into water. Hinata chopped Dosu in the neck, causing all feeling below it to vanish. Dosu collapsed into a heap of limbs, unable to move. He looked into Hinata's eyes and cursed.

"Watch out! She's a fucking Hyuuga!" he shouted to Zaku and Kin. The two became cautious and walked around the Hyuuga.

Zaku smirked and said, "So fuckin' what? Her Juken is useless if she can't touch me!" He made some hand seals and began running toward Hinata. "Zanku—Ahhh!" Zaku had fallen into a pit hole trap and was stuck at the bottom with no way out.

Dosu groaned and said, "Hyuugas are tactical geniuses, you moron!" He turned his head to Kin and said, "Baby, can you come here and make me work?"

Kin ran over to him, unknowingly setting off another trap. A makeshift catapult flung three red orbs at Kin. She gracefully leapt over them and rolled along the ground. The orbs crashed into a nearby tree, and acid was realeased on impact, burning the wood off the tree.

The long haired Oto-nin smirked and said, "If you thought such a simple trap would catch me, you must not be as smart as Dosu—" Hinata used the time Kin spent dodging the trap to get up close and seal her tenketsu. She tried so seal the tenketsu located at her heart, but Kin punched her hand, causing Hinata to strike her in her stomach. Kin was sent flying and crashed against some rocks.

A sudden wave of nausea engulfed Hinata, and the Hyuuga heiress threw up all over the ground. Dosu was standing over her with a smirk of satisfaction. "My Kaichoude (_Melody Arm_) can release powerful soundwaves that attack your inner ear. I call the technique Kyomeisen (_Vibrating Sound Drill_). I can fuck your balance up and make you sick, and then I can go for the kill."

Dosu raised his arm to strike Hinata, but a hand grabbed it. "Three on one………doesn't seem very fair to me."

* * *

Naruto had woken up, unable to move his body. He felt strangely empty inside, and he knew it was because Orochimaru had sealed away his yokai. And now, Hinata was being attacked and he was powerless to stop it, powerless to save her.

'_I need to move. Why can't I fucking move?_' thought Naruto.

_**Orochimaru's seal has screwed up your body, too. And now you want to save Hinata?**_

'_This isn't the time Kyo-sensei!_' screamed Naruto.

_**Get over it, you spineless bastard!**_

Naruto was shocked by Kyo's words. Kyo was usually so calm, so to hear him yell was a frightful experience. _**Hinata made a mistake! All creatures do! And you are holding that mistake over her head as if she tried to kill you!**_

'_Fuck her! She thinks that I'm a monster! She's no better than the villagers!_' Naruto shot back.

_**Oh, woe is me that my little human girlfriend was frightened by my power! If she was like those other idiot humans, she would have left you for dead by now! She wouldn't be out there risking her life for you! Did you think about that, you…you…you fucking emo queen [**3__**]!**_

It was then, and only then, did Naruto realize just how cruel he had been. '_What have I done?_' thought Naruto as he watched Dosu prepare to beat Hinata.

* * *

While Naruto was getting his dose of reality, a boy watched the fight in the bushes. '_I need to stop this!_' He reached into his pouch and pulled out a white mask with ruby eyes. It had an ancient writing on it: Niag egaruoc, nda dnefed eht keaw [_**4**_]. He placed the mask on his face, and it fused with his skin. "Showtime, baby!"

* * *

Dosu looked at the boy who was holding onto his hand. The grey clad Genin looked normal, save for the freakishly pale skin on his face and the pure red eyes. "'Sides, my mom always told me it was rude to hit a girl," the boy said as he punched Dosu hard in his free eye. By now, Zaku and Kin had gotten up and regrouped with their captain.

Dosu growled and said, "Who are you?"

The boy made some hand seals and shouted, "Masurao Kiokure, the heir of the Eiki no Fukumen (_Mask of Courage_)[_**5**_]!"

Dosu and his teammate where shocked; Orochimaru warned them about the Masurao Clan and told them to flee from them should they try to fight them. They were about to discover why when Kiokure pointed his finger at them and said, "Chuusin Uirusu (_Heart Virus_)[6]!"

Kin clutched her chest and began screaming in pain. Dosu looked at the girl, and then shouted at Kiokure, "What the fuck did you do to my girlfriend?"

Kiokure laughed almost maniacally and said, "I released a virus into her system that's destroying her heart. I'm not too experienced with this jutsu so it should take about ten minutes to complete." Kiokure grabbed a kunai from his pouch and thought, '_The only bad thing about this technique is that I can't always hit my target (I was aiming for the mummy) and that I can't use another jutsu 'til it's finished. Oh well, time to kick ass!_'

Dosu growled and said, "Zaku, take care of the eyeless bitch! The freak in the mask is all mine!" He pulled out his Tentou scroll and tossed it to Zaku.

Kiokure narrowed his eyes when he saw the scroll and said, "Looks like you have something that's about to belong to me!" he rushed at Zaku with amazing speed and tried to stab him. Dosu leapt in the way and blocked the kunai with his Kaichoude. He backed away from the masked boy and leapt into the air.

"Kyomeisen!" shouted Dosu. Kiokure simply stood his ground as the sound waves engulfed his body. Dosu was stupefied that the boy was unaffected by his jutsu. "How did you not get hurt?" he asked.

"Oh, trade secret," Kiokure said with a smirk. '_Truth is, I can't control the mask yet. The yokai in it is taking over my body. I figure I have ten more minutes before it takes full control,_' thought Kiokure. He could feel the mask spreading over his ears and neck and down his chest.

Dosu charged him again, but Kiokure was ready. He flipped his body over Dosu's, then used the momentum of his charge to fling him into a nearby tree. Kiokure then rushed Dosu, and stabbed him in his eye.

"Arghhhhhhh! You fucking bastard! Take this!" Dosu pressed his hand against his chest and shouted, "Ninpou: Shippuototekidan (_Ninja Art: Compressed Sound Grenade_)[_**7**_]!"

Kiokure felt a strange sensation in his chest as Dosu transferred the sound grenade into his chest. The masked boy screamed in pain as his body flew, and the beating of his heart slowed to a stop.

* * *

Hinata stared Zaku down as she tried to summon some strength. She was dead tired from the entire night of guard duty, and didn't have the stamina to face the Oto-nin. '_I need to use that jutsu. I know I promised you I would never use it, but I have to defend someone I love, mother,_' Hinata thought as she began making hand seals.

"Are you retarded? Like I'm gonna let you use a jutsu on me!" Zaku shouted as he flung some shuriken Hinata's way. The Hyuuga completed her hand seals, and allowed the shuriken to hit her body. "Soshikan: Gogyou (_First Element: Water_)[_**8**_][_**9**_]!"

Zaku smirked when nothing happened. "All that for a useless jutsu? Lord Orochimaru really has the wrong idea about you and your cla—" Zaku stopped mid-insult and coughed up a mouthful of blood. He dropped to his knees and vomited blood, water, and a greenish, putrid liquid Hinata recognized to be stomach acid. After what seemed like an eternity, Zaku stopped vomiting and dropped dead.

'_I feel lightheaded. If I die, I hope you realize, Naruto-kun, that I did it all for you. This is………my sacrifice,_' Hinata weakly thought as she dropped to the ground and faded to black.

* * *

Kiokure suddenly began coughing up blood and weakly stood to his feet. He looked at his chest to see that the mask had progressed much faster than he expected; his torso was now completely covered by the pale white skin. '_Damn! At this rate, I only have about three minutes left before I lose it,_' Kiokure thought.

Kin had stopped writhing some time ago; she finally succumbed to the virus. Kiokure sighed and began making hand seals. but before he could finish, he felt a vile chakra spike directly behind him.

'_What the hell is that?_' thought Kiokure.

Dosu gasped in shock and whispered, "Lord Orochimaru……is here!"

* * *

Sasuke stood in a white abyss, looking for a way out. Suddenly, a voice began to speak to him. "It's all your fault!" Sasuke whipped around to see a chibi version of himself staring him down. He had odd, black markings all over his skin.

"You were weak and you let Itachi-kun kill them all!" the boy shouted. Sasuke cast his head down, and tears welled up in his eyes. The chibi Sasuke smirked and said, "But I can offer you strength, enough to kill Itachi. All you have to do is take my hand." The chibi held his hand out to the raven-haired avenger. The taller boy grasped it, Sharingan blazing in anger and hatred.

* * *

"_**DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!**_" Sasuke screamed as he leapt up. He saw Hinata laying on the ground unconscious and roared again as black runes crept over his body. "_**Which one of you bastards did that to Hinata?**_"

Kiokure pointed to Dosu and leapt into the bushes. Sasuke rushed him with tremendous speed and thrust his hand through Dosu's arm. With a yank, he ripped out his Kaichoude. Sasuke flipped back and made a hand seal. "Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu!" He exhaled a fireball so massive the clearing became engulfed in fire.

Kiokure had grabbed Hinata and Naruto just in time and rolled into the trees. He felt a presence staring at him and said, "I know, I know. Good news is I found the Tentou scroll. Bad news, it may be fried."

Satsu shook his head and leapt into the clearing. Dosu was burnt beyond recognition. Sasuke turned and stared down the blonde boy. "Satsu, we meet again. There's something I've wanted to do since the day we met," Sasuke said.

Satsu smirked and said, "Sasuke, I'm flattered, but kissing guys isn't an option for me." The blonde suddenly blocked a powerful kick from Sasuke. Satsu could feel his arm crack under the pressure and he leapt away.

'_Damn, he's almost as fast as me,_' thought Satsu. Haku came running out of the treeline and stood between him and Sasuke. "Magen: Ankoku (_Demonic Illusion: Darkness_)[_**10**_]!"

Sasuke's eyes began to close and the marks began to recede. He dropped to the ground unconscious. Satsu walked over to Dosu's corpse and searched for the Tentou scroll. Once he secured it, he turned to Haku and said, "I could have handled it."

Haku scoffed and said, "Please, your idea of handling something is to kill it quick."

Satsu smirked and said, "True. Can you heal these guys?" By now, Kiokure had released his mask and was walking to them with Naruo and Hinata draped over his shoulder.

Haku looked over them and growled, "Hinata's dying! We need to get back to base, fast!" Satsu lifted the three Genin with his mind and they wasted no time getting back to their base.

* * *

Next Time: _I can't believe what an ass I've been. Hinata deserves better than that. I need to make things right. Please forgive me, Hinata-chan._

_Sorry Soul! Forgive Me, Hinata-Chan!_

* * *

1- A brief reference to one of the few times i actually cared for Sakura (when she cut her hair to defend Sasuke and Naruto)

2- Before you all say Orochimaru can't be attracted to Anko or that he loves little boys, I think that Orochimaru truly gets off on another's fear and pain. Not too many things are more frightening then some of the sick things that run through his mind.

3- What better way to be snapped back to reality than to realize you've become the thing you hate the most…………Sasuke Uchiha.(Special thanks to narutos vixen for calling Naruto that and giving me the idea!:)

4- The scripture reads _gain courage and defend the weak_. Perfect for Kiokure. And I got this idea from Bleach, too (go Vizards!).

5- The Eiki no Fukumen is one of three masks crafted by the master demon artist Waza Jin'i (both words mean art) for a demon general known as Ikujinashi (means coward). The mask grants no augmentation of power or energy; only an unnatural surge of courage. Ikujinashi died protecting a small human village from a clan of vampiric demons. His mask was then guarded by the strongest person in that village every generation until their death. Soon that village formed the Masurao Clan and joined Konoha.

6- Chuusin Uirusu (_Heart Virus_): This is a jutsu that can only be used by members of the Masurao Clan. The user secretes special viral bacteria that affect the target's heart. The virus literally eats the target's heart in a matter of minutes. Like most of the Masurao Clan's jutsu, there is an antibody for this technique.

7- Ninpou: Shippuototekidan (_Ninja Art: Compressed Sound Grenade_): The user creates a ball of compressed sound and transfers it through his hand to his target's body. The ball then detonates and damages the target's internal organs.

8- Soshikan: Gogyou (_First Element: Water_): This is one of five powerful Ninjutsu created by the late Hyuuga Hinoiri. The user channels their chakra into their target and forcibly rips all the liquid out of it.

9-Hinoiri is Hinata's mother and she created the five great Hyuuga Ninjutsu. When all five are used in succession on the same day, something wonderful is supposed to happen. Hinata has water aligned chakra in my story, so the first element in the pattern is Water.

10- Magen: Ankoku (_Demonic Illusion: Darkness_): The user lulls the target into a calm, hypnotic state. The user believes he is asleep.


	15. Chuunin Exams VI

Shingen Takeda 1521- I originally planned to have Sasuke as Naruto's rival for Hinata's love but I scrapped the idea and just made Sasuke flirt with her to anger Naruto. He has great respect for her as a kunoichi and because of that he cares for her, but not in a romantic way.

Narutos vixen- I'm glad you're all warm and fuzzy on the inside, and you'll see in this chappie.

Red-volpe- You ain't seen nothin' yet.

And thanks to BombermanZ22! I always stress about the battle scenes.

* * *

_Sorry Soul! Forgive Me, Hinata-chan! _

* * *

Naruto shot up, covered in cold sweat. He just had a nightmare about Orochimaru killing Sasuke and doing horrible things to Hinata. "You're up Naruto-kun!" The blonde Kitsune turned to see Kiokure sitting on his right.

"I was starting to think you wouldn't make it," Satsu said as he drank some water from his canteen. Naruto looked around and saw Haku asleep, curled up against a sleeping Sasuke's chest. He didn't see Hinata anywhere.

"W-W-Where's—" Naruto began.

"Relax, Naruto-san," Satsu said. "She's using the bathroom.

"Now, who attacked you guys?" Satsu tossed the canteen to the blonde.

Naruto took a generous amount and said, "A member of the Sanin, Orochimaru."

Satsu's eyes widened at this. Kiokure picked up on this and asked, "Something wrong, Satsu-kun?"

"Yeah, Orochimaru was once a member of my clan," the blonde emo said.

Naruto and Kiokure's eyes widened. "Are you serious?" Kiokure asked. "How did something like that stay a secret?"

"The Sandaime issued an order during the Dainiji Nikai Taisen to have all files on the ancestry of the Sanin burned to protect their families. They were stripped of their clan names and speaking of their names was an offense punishable by death. Orochimaru was known as Toppyoushimonai Orochimaru before the war. He didn't possess our kekkei genkei, the Ganjouomoi (_Strong Mind_) [_**1**_]

"And no Kiokure, I never met him; he defected a few months before I was born," Satsu said.

Kiokure groaned and replied, "I hate when you read my mind. I feel so violated."

Satsu flinched at Kiokure, and the brunette jumped in fear and began shaking. The blonde boy chuckled, and said, "I'm not an emo like everyone thinks. I'm just not the type to be friendly to people I don't like."

Naruto growled and replied, "You read my mind?"

Satsu smiled and said, "No, I've just heard it all." Hinata had climbed into the tree hollow by now, and silence quickly spread throughout the impromptu base. Satsu grabbed Kiokure and said, "We'll take guard duty. We'll be back in about an hour." He dragged the shaking boy and leapt out of the tree.

Naruto and Hinata both avoided each others' eyes, for fear that looking into them would cause their emotions to burst forth like water from a broken dam.

"I've been an asshole, Hina-chan. You don't deserve a friend like me," Naruto said. To say Hinata was shocked would be the understatement of the year. Naruto had every right to act like he did, and he never apologized for anything.

"No, Naruto-kun. I should be apologizing to you. I called you a monster; I don't deserve you," Hinata meekly said.

"Why did you call me that?" Naruto asked.

"I was scared and you turned into this huge fox, and you just kept hitting Haku-chan and I freaked. I know that doesn't excuse it and I understand if you never—"

Naruto cut Hinata off, and said, "I forgive you with all my heart, Hina-chan." Hinata was shocked by what he said, and he continued, "You're my best friend and I-I-I…"

_**Say it, damn it! Say it!**_

"I hope we stay friends for a long time," Naruto quietly said.

_**You suck, Kit.**_

'_*Sigh* I know,_' said Naruto.

Hinata was a little disappointed; she had hoped Naruto would say something else. Then again, she didn't have the courage to say it either.

"Awwww, this is cute!" Haku said as she sat up.

"Not as cute as you curled up to Sasuke's chest," Hinata shot back.

"I don't like that emo, even if he is cute," Haku said. Her face was almost as red as a tomato. Naruto and Hinata began howling with laughter as Haku turned away from them.

* * *

Obito was chasing after his girlfriend, who was running at top speed through the forest. "Anko-chan, slow down! We should be heading to Minato-sensei, not the watchtower!"

Anko stopped and turned to Obito. "If I don't make it to the tower to officiate the end of the second exam, things will be bad!" she shouted.

"What do you mean?" Obito said.

Anko sighed and said, "Orochimaru threatened the village. He said if we stop, he'll destroy Konoha."

Obito replied, "You can't possibly believe he'll just leave us alone just because we let the exams go on! You're—"

Anko punched Obito in his stomach and said, "Finish that I promise you that you'll become my girlfriend."

Before Obito could reply, a large, silver wolf leapt into the clearing. "Master Obito, Master Kakashi requests an audience with you," it said.

Obito cursed and said, "Can it wait, Fukkan?"

The summon shook his head. Obito sighed and asked, "Can you at least make sure Anko-chan gets where she needs to safely?"

"Indubitably," Fukkan said.

Obito turned to Anko and said, "I'll be at the tower as soon as I'm through with Kakashi. I promise—"

Anko smirked and said, "Yeah yeah, just get your ass back quick." Obito smiled and vanished in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

Anko and Fukkan arrived at the tower an hour later. A Chuunin helper ran to her and said, "Captain Mitarashi! I'm sorry to bother you, seeing as you just got in, but you have to explain to one of the Genin what they should do next.

Anko sucked her teeth and said, "Stop trying to pull my leg. No way any Genin are done by now."

"No, it's true," the officer said. "The Yondaime Kazekage's children finished the exam in an hour and a half." Anko's eyes widened as the officer brought Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari to her.

'_What is this kid?_' thought Anko.

* * *

Naruto, Sasuke, Kiokure, and Satsu were currently fishing in a stream the way only ninja could: with amazing displays of acrobatics and kunai throwing. Haku and Hinata were trying in vain to start a fire.

"Looks like you guys need help from a real man," Kiokure said as he flexed his scrawny arms.

"Ok, Mr. Man. Help us," Haku said. She used her amazing speed to get behind Kiokure. The boy jumped in fear and fell in the river. Everyone laughed at the poor boy, and Satsu telekinetically lifted him out of the river.

A few minutes later, the Genin sat around the campfire, eating their catch. Sasuke was the first to speak up. "This is day four, you guys. The second exam started at around 2:30 p.m. on Monday, meaning we only have about a good 24 hours left," he stated.

Haku added, "I'm pretty sure everyone headed to the tower right away, either to brag about only needing a day or two or to escape the forest."

Naruto said, "There may be some people waiting around the tower to ambush Genin with both scrolls to make it easier for them, too."

Hinata activated her Byakugan and said, "The tower is about one kilometer away!"

Satsu spoke up again and said, "This is where we go our separate ways. I think that the six of us together is to easy a target. Kiokure, Haku, we're leaving." The blonde stood up and began to walk away, nonchalantly flicking his wrist above his head in an aloof type of wave. Haku and Kiokure said their goodbyes and followed after him.

* * *

Squad 7 could see the tower the tower in the horizon; only about four more hours of walking. Sasuke went up into a tree to take the first shift at watch. Hinata and Naruto lay down, staring at the stars. Both of them were a mass of different emotions, but for the first time in months, these emotions were positive. But one question was burning on Naruto's mind.

"Hey, Hina-chan?" Naruto called out softly. He waited for the heiress to look at him before asking, "That jutsu you used on the Oto-nin was awesome, but it put a lot of strain on you. Why did you do it?"

A small smile spread across Hinata's face as she said, "A wise man told me that in order to atone for your sins, you must sometimes sacrifice something dear to you. I was willing to sacrifice my life for you b-b-because I-I-I w-w-well…………"

Naruto sat up in anticipation and repleied, "Yeah…………"

"I-I-I t-t-think y-y-you're m-m-my b-b-best f-f-friend," Hinata stammered out.

_**I changed my mind; you AND Hinata-chan suck.**_

* * *

Next Time: _We've finally made it to the watch tower! And now the third exam is here: a no-holds barred fight! Awww yeah, first fight is………fucking Sasuke?!?!?! GODDAMN IT!!!!!!!_

_Deathmatch! The Third Exams Begin!_

* * *

1- Ganjouomoi (_Strong Mind_): This kekkei genkei allows the user to unlock up to 50% of their brain's capacity. This allows the user the gifts of telekinesis, telepathy, and increased intelligence.

* * *

Sorry for such a short update but I didn't want to ruin the tender moment these two shared with any filler crap (much like Viz does with those stupid filler arcs that eventually got Naruto off the air on Cartoon Network. Speaking of which, does anyone know when Shippuden comes to the Americas?).


	16. Chuunin Exams VII

Narutos vixen- I'm up to date with the manga, I was just curious as to when it would show up on our side of the world because I heard the same thing you did, but thought that I was mistaken.

Shingen Takeda 1521- You know a good author doesn't rush what's meant to be…………meaning I have no damn clue yet. I'm not sure if I'll hook them up in this story or in the sequel…………decisions, decisions.

Red-volpe- Ouch…well, hopefully when you come back, you should have a nice chapter filled with Kiokure fighting and whuppin' ass! Lol.

And thanks to everyone for the links to go watch Shippuden. I love the manga, but it's easier for me to watch the anime to see the fights, I dunno why.

* * *

_Deathmatch! The Third Exams Begin! _

* * *

Squad 6 was being led by a Chuunin down a long, dark hallway. He stopped half way and opened a door to a bare, dingy, poorly lit room. "Enter here to gain admission to the next exam," he said before vanishing.

The door was sealed behind them and, like in the first exam, vanished. A sign on the wall told the Genin that they had to open the scroll to find out what would happen next. Naruto and Sasuke opened said scrolls, and watched as smoke began to fill the room.

"Shit, a Kuchiyose! Can't we get a minute of peace," groaned Sasuke as the smoke began to clear. A man stepped out of the smoke. He had shaggy, graying brown hair and facial hair similar to Asuma's. He was garbed in the standard Chuunin/Jonin outfit. On his back were two bandaged katana that leaked yokai.

Naruto's eyes widened in recognition and he shouted, "Long time no see old man!"

The man turned red and shouted, "FUCKING BRAT!!! I'LL KILL YOU!!!"

Hinata asked, "Um Naruto, who is this guy?"

The man regained his composure and said, "Masurao Chuuko [_**1**_], Jonin of Konoha, here to give you your next set of instructions for the exam.

"Wait, is Masurao Kiokure your son?" Hinata asked sweetly.

Chuuko gasped and screamed, "I'M 23!!! KIOKURE'S MY LITTLE BROTHER!!!"

Sasuke growled and said, "This is all fine and dandy, but why are you here?"

Once again, Chuuko instantaneous regained his composure, leaving Hinata in a state of disbelief. "I'm here to warn you guys," Chuuko said.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he asked, "What do you mean warn us?"

"The next part of the exams is the most difficult because you could lose your lives. As a Chuunin of the Leaf, 90% of your missions will carry the possibility of death. You must be able to face this possibility and continue on without fear," Chuuko said. He coughed then finished, "I'm here to offer you a way out."

Sasuke spoke up first by saying, "I refuse to accept your cop out."

"I have too much riding on this to give up now," said Hinata.

"This symbol on my forehead," Naruto said as he pointed to the Leaf on his hitai-ite, "means I'm all grown up, that I'm a ninja! I refuse to ever surrender, even if I have no chance of winning! That's what a Hokage would do!"

Chuuko smiled and said, "You guys have about a 28.87% chance of passing, and a 94% chance of dying. But with you, Namikaze Naruto, calculations mean nothing." The door reappeared behind the Genin and Chuuko said, "Shall we head to the third exam?"

* * *

Anko groaned as she sat on a cold table. Inuzuka Rin and the Yondaime were examining her curse mark, to see if it's reappearance on her neck meant she would be controlled by Orochimaru.

"Does the curse seal hurt, Anko-san?" asked Minato as he sat down next to her.

Anko felt the mark before replying, "No. I guess that means Orochimaru is either too far away for his presence to arouse the seal, or he got bored of screwing with me."

Rin washed her hands and said, "I had heard that Orochimaru's body was found in Kusagakure no Sato. To think that that creep is still alive is *shudder* scary."

Anko sighed and said, "He's after one of the Genin. I don't know which one, though."

Minato rubbed the bridge of his nose and said, "I think I know who. Orochimaru's lifelong ambition is to do three things. The first is to learn every jutsu in existence (be it of human, demon, or angelic in origin). The second is to gain immortality. The third…………is to overthrow Izanagi and become the new Kami."

"But I'm confused. What does this have to do with who he's pursuing?" Rin asked.

"Think about it, Rin-san," Anko said as she put her jacket back on. "Orochimaru wants to learn every jutsu in the world. What Genin would he need to brainwash to do that?"

Rin gasped and shouted, "Sasuke-kun!"

"Bingo," Minato said. "But that makes me wonder, what is so special about Sasuke? Obito would make a better choice: stronger, more advanced Sharingan, higher chakra reserves, etc."

One of the Chuunin helpers ran into the room and said, "Lord Namikaze, twenty-one Genin passed the second exam!"

Mild intrigue flashed across Minato's face as he said, "For the first time in five years, we'll have to have a preliminary for the third exam. Shall we go to the dojo, ladies?"

* * *

"Congratulations on passing the second exam!" Minato said to the 21 Genin who passed. He was proud that of the twenty-one Genin that passed, 18 were from Konoha. Despite the rockiness of their relationship, Minato was extremely proud that his son was one of the passing Genin. The Jonin senseis of Konoha, Anko, and Chuuko stood around their leader. A long haired Konoha-nin stood next to a mean looking Suna-nin a bit apart from the group.

Gai leaned over to Kakashi and said, "I'm impressed that your team made it this far, but I feel as if I should offer you my condolences. Against my team, they will be burned by the grand flames of my youngsters, uh, youth."

Kakashi turned to Gai and said, "Say something?"

Chuuko walked to the center of the dojo and said, "I, Masurao Chuuko, will be the proctor for the third exam. Um, actually, this is a preliminary test to see who would be in the main event."

Satsu spoke up first, shouting, "What the hell do you mean preliminary?"

"Two's company, three's a crowd, and 21 is a nuisance," Chuuko said.

"Why can't we all take the third exam?" asked Sakura.

Chuuko sighed and said, "If you'd shut up pinky, I can explain why.

"Now, this is really an issue of finance. In the third exam, we have to pay to lodge all the dignitaries that come to watch you little snot buckets kill yourselves. So the less of you are out there dying, the less we have to shell out on those pompous assholes. If we could knock some of you out, we could finish the third exam in a day and save the millions of ryou [_**2**_]," Chuuko said as he turned to Minato, "and possible send some of the money my way?

Minato's steely face spelled 'Shut up, dumbass!' Chuuko sighed and muttered, "Everyone's a critic. Anyways, since the prelims starts now—f"

Kiokure nervously asked, "N-N-Now?

A tick mark appeared on Chuuko's face and he shouted, "YES!!! SHIT, STOP INTERRUPTING ME!!!"

All the Leaf-nin and Minato sighed at their clinically insane comrade. Chuuko regained his composure again [_**3**_] and said, "Now, the prelims starts now; anyone wanna quit now? Please quit now, so I go to Ichiraku's. Please."

Kabuto raised his hand and said, "I would like to quit, Chuuko-san." As soon as 'san' left Kabuto's mouth, Chuuko rushed him, grabbed his neck, and tossed him out of the tower via the skylight. All the Genin, save for Kiokure and Naruto, watched in amazement. How could someone so old be so strong?!

"Anyone else wanna fly AirChuuko?" the Jonin asked. By now, the youngsters were quite scared of the man and opted to stay. Once again regaining his composure, the old-looking Jonin said, "Your matches will be chosen randomly by an electronic scoreboard. You will not know who you are fighting until one second before the match begins. Enjoy!"

The scoreboard began to flash two pictures on its screen. After a minute, two pictures appeared on the screen. The first was of Sasuke; the second of one of Kabuto's teammates, a man whose face and eyes were covered by a black veil and shades.

"Alrighty then, Match 1 will be Uchiha Sasuke vs. Akado Yoroi!" Chuuko said.

'_Figures! Sasuke always gets to go first!_' thought Naruto.

_**You should be happy! With no yokai, how are you going to perform any jutsu?**_

'_Can't you just let me use your yokai? It'd make fighting easier,_' asked Naruto.

_**We both know that my yokai is much too potent for you. Plus, it would slowly eat away at your body. I think that I can damage the seal enough to release a bit of yokai so you can at least regenerate. It would be much slower than you are accustomed to, but at least you would be able to survive fatal blows.**_

'_How long before you can remove the seal completely?_'

_**By myself? About three months. This seal is truly a piece of work. If I had another seal master to help me, I could have it removed in a few days.**_

'_My dad is one of the best seal masters in the world. I'm sure he could—_'

_**No, I need the strongest. I need—**_

The sound of Chuuko signaling the beginning of the match disrupted the two Kitsune's talk. Sasuke and Yoroi both stood in the center of the dojo's ring. The other ninja were scurrying to get up to the catwalk so they wouldn't be caught in the crossfire.

"Before the match begins, may I have a word with my student?" Kakashi inquired.

Chuuko rolled his eyes and said, "Whatever. I get paid for every hour this thing drags on."

Kakashi walked over to Sasuke and leaned to his ear. "Don't use your Sharingan, Sasuke-kun," he whispered.

"So you know? What did that bastard do to me?" the raven-haired avenger asked.

"Yeah," Kakashi replied. "He implanted yokai into your body. Chakra usage activates the curse; you could lose your life if this happens. And I will stop the fight."

Sasuke didn't reply. He simply walked up to Chuuko and said, "I'm ready."

Yoroi reached into his pouch and pulled out some shuriken. He tossed it at Sasuke, forcing the Uchiha to deflect it with his kunai. The curse mark began to pulsate with energy, causing Sasuke to scream out in pain and fall on the floor. Yoroi charged his hand with chakra, and attempted to grab Sasuke's face. The Uchiha rolled out of the way, and flung his kunai at the man, hitting him in his thigh. Sasuke attempted to put some distance between him and Yoroi, but the veiled man grabbed his ankle. Green energy burst from Sasuke's body, and the Uchiha howled in pain.

Yoroi tossed Sasuke clear across the dojo, watching as his body created a large crack in the wall. "How do you like my Kyuuketsuki (_Vampire_)[_**4**_] kekkei genkei? With it, I can steal your life slowly and make it my own!" Yoroi shouted.

He flashed through a set of hand seals and shouted, "Ninpou: Shintobakuha (_Ninja Art: Concussion Blast_)[_**5**_]!" He thrust his palm forward and a large orb of chakra sped toward Sasuke. The Uchiha leapt away from the attack, but right into Yoroi's arms. The green energy enveloped their bodies as Sasuke screamed in pain.

'_I…I…I can't beat him…need help,_' thought Sasuke as his world began to become permanently black.

A voice in his mind began to speak to him, saying, '_Usssse the power I gave you, Ssssassssuke-kun, and kill him!_'

'_No!_' thought Sasuke as his curse mark began to throb harder and faster. He kicked Yoroi in his privates, forcing the man to let go of him. Sasuke put some distance between them, but could feel his legs wobble. '_I hope this works!_'

Sasuke grabbed his shuriken and threw it with tremendous force. Yoroi countered with his own shuriken. Sasuke used the distraction to grab Yoroi's hand and placed it on his curse mark. It turned red, and the ancient symbols began to spread from his the mark to Yoroi's body.

The veiled man screamed in pain as a purple energy burst from his body. His skin turned grey, and his body began to wither. His screams slowed into pained moans as he collapsed on the floor.

Chuuko raised his hand and said, "Match 1 is over. The winner by knockout is Uchiha Sasuke!" A group of medic-nin ran to Yoroi and placed him gently on a stretcher before running to the medical ward.

The long-haired Konoha-nin turned to the Suna-nin and whispered, "I'm impresssssssssed by Yoroi. Mosssst Akado who would have touched the cursssse mark would have died. He'ssss managed to ssssurrvive, Baki."

Baki smirked and said, "Most likely to revive his clan. I believe you killed them, Lord Orochimaru?"

"I thought the Kyuuketssssuki would prolong my life, but I wassss wrong. The Akado clan wassss a nice feasssst, though," Orochimaru said with a dark chuckle.

The electronic scoreboard began to flash a set of pictures. It finally flashed a picture of Kiokure and Shino. Chuuko declared, "Match 2 will be between Masuaro Kiokure and Aburame Shino. Will you two please enter the arena?"

Both boys entered the arena and assessed each other. Chuuko raised his arms and shouted, "Ready!" Kiokure pulled his demon mask out and placed it on his face. "Begin!"

Kiokure opened his red eyes and shouted, "Oh yeah!"

* * *

Next Time: _Woah…I never knew Kiokure was such a beast! But Shino isn't a pushover either! This fight is so intense, but what's up with that creepy mask?_

_Match 2! The Demon General is Reborn!_

* * *

1- New Character Bio (_Masurao Chuuko_): Chuuko is the older brother of Masurao Kiokure and Masurao Hanayaka. He was considered a child prodigy; he mastered his clan jutsu at a very young age, graduated from the academy at the age of 5, became a Chuunin at 6, a Jonin at 10, and served as the head of the ANBU Espionage Corps for thirteen years before mysteriously leaving ANBU. Despite these accomplishments, the Eiki no Fukumen rejected him as its guardian. Chuuko wasn't bitter when his younger, less talented brother Kiokure was chosen. He devoted his time to training the shy boy on how to use the mask and the ninja way. Chuuko looks much older than he is, which often leads people to believe his Kiokure's father. He is also known for being rude to almost everyone, very eccentric, and good at calculating percentages. His name means old warrior (Masurao=warrior; Chuuko=old).

2- I don't know if ryou is the canon currency. I actually go that from _Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2_ so I doubt it's based on the canon. If anyone knows what they call the currency, let me know.

3- I imagined Chuuko to be like the typical crazy person in the anime: one emotion at one moment and another the next. And also immensely powerful and weird (kinda like Urahara Kisuke from _Bleach_). You'll see this a lot; he's my comic relief amongst the older ninja.

4- Kyuuketsukei (_Vampire_): This a kekkei genkei that allows the user to absorb the life force of a human or animal target via physical contact. The user can then add the life force they absorb to their own, making them immensely more powerful. If the user touches a source of yokai or konjou, they are met with fatal results

5- Ninpou: Shintobakuha (_Ninja Art: Concussion Blast_): The user fires a powerful blast of chakra capable of knocking out their opponent.


	17. Chuunin Exams VIII

Narutos vixen- I have someone else in mind for Hinata to fight.

Shingen Takeda 1521- Sorry but I have to show the battles in the next few chapters. As far as NaruHina, the hardest part is to figure out when: should it be during the exams…or during the search for Tsunade…or the Sasuke Retrival arc. All three have their own pros and cons but I think I know when I'm going to bring our favorite couple together…and I only plan to do two stories for this series…maybe some back stories for the Sanin and Obito but it's not definite.

Also some of the matches involving my Oc's may be short because I just want to show off their powers. This chapter will probably be short, but what I may do is have two matches in one chapter (kinda like how some half-hour cartoons have two little episodes in one).

* * *

_Match 2! The Demon General is Reborn! _

* * *

Obito leaned over to Kakashi as Chuuko signaled the beginning of the second match and whispered, "This'll be interesting. Rin-chan and Asuma's students are fighting. Think they'll be diplomatic about the situation?"

"KICK HIS SCRAWNY ASS, KIOKURE!!!" shouted Asuma, causing Haku and Satsu to shake their heads.

"SHOW HIM THAT BRAINS BEAT BRAWN!!!" shouted Rin.

"There's your answer," Kakashi said as Obito slapped his forehead in embarrassment.

Down at the ring, Kiokure began laughing maniacally and shouted, "So you wanna try me, bug boy?" Kiokure rushed Shino and kicked at Shino. The mysterious boy blocked the kick with his arm.

"Only fools rush in without thinking of a battle plan," said Shino.

Kiokure smirked and said, "Good thing I'm no fool!" The boy said from behind Shino. He stabbed the Aburame in his kidneys, and walked away as the boy dropped to the ground. Kiokure suddenly leapt into the air, narrowly avoiding the kikaichu insects that were trying to leech his chakra.

"I should expect nothing less from an Aburame. A Mushi Bunshin (_Bug Clone_), I presume?" Kiokure asked. Shino merely nodded and Kiokure smiled. He licked his lips and said, "I think your too far away. Come here!" His tongue extended across the arena and wrapped around Shino's arm, dragging him toward Kiokure.

* * *

Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata shuddered as they began to recall their battle with Orochimaru. Naruto leaned over to Sasuke and asked, "You don't think Orochimaru ripped off Kiokure's face, do you?"

"No, it's Kiokure's chakra, but something weird is happening. The porcelain that mask is made of seems to be spreading down his body," Sasuke replied.

"Oh yeah!" Hinata said, remembering how the mask spread over his body. "I think that's the effect of the mask. The more it spreads the stronger he becomes, but Kiokure tried to end the fight before that happened."

"Woah!" shouted Naruto as he pointed at the battle.

* * *

Shino drew closer and closer, and Kiokure unhinged his jaws, revealing a set of sharp, ferocious teeth. Shino smiled and dissolved into a mass of bugs. They swarmed Kiokure, who began flailing his arms to knock them away.

"That's what makes my Mushi Bunshin so powerful. The bugs can reform at anytime. I created it before you came down the stairs. When you stabbed it with the kunai, it had to dispel. Thankfully, you had your back turned to me and gave me a chance to reform the clone," Shino said as he stood next to his clone.

Kiokure looked down at his body. The mask had spread to all over his torso and was begin to creep down his thighs. '_Shit, those bugs sapped my chakra and made the curse of the mask progress. At this rate, I have about five minutes before I lose it. Gotta end this fast!_' thought Kiokure.

He grabbed a kunai and flung it at the two Shinos. They both shifted so the kunai would pass between them. They failed to notice that the kunai had an explosive tag wrapped around it. The tag detonated, killing the bugs and knocking Shino away.

Kiokure leapt into the sky and brought both of his fists down on Shino's neck. Or at least tried to. Shino rolled, leapt away, and shouted, "Tsumu Hensei (_Spindle Formation_)!" Hundreds of kikaichu left Shino's body and began to spin around Kiokure.

The boy smirked and made hand seals, then shouted, "Bikko Uirusu (_Crippling Virus_)[_**1**_]!" The kikaichu began to move erracticly, and then dropped to the floor. Shino could tell they were still alive, but they had been rendered immobile.

"How do you like my Bikko Uirusu? It'll leave your bugs paralyzed for a limited time. I need to end this fight now if you don't mind so let's make this quick," Kiokure said.

He rushed Shino with a kunai and thought, '_Damn, I only have a minute left! I need to get him to forfeit!_' Kiokure threw some smoke bombs, causing a thick white smoke to fill in the room. The smokescreen lifted and Kiokure was holding Shino by his hair, with his kunai pressed against his neck.

"**Yield!**" said Kiokure.

Shino said, "I yi—" Kiokure dropped his kunai and gripped his head in pain. He dropped to his knees, allowing Shino to get away from him.

Chuuko cursed and thought, '_You played around and now he's back. Fucking retard._'

Kiokure released a bloodcurdling scream as his muscles got larger. Black nails grew out of his fingers, and magenta, vein-like lines appeared on all the visible parts of his boody. His brown hair became spikier and grew longer, and his canines became sharper and stuck out of his mouth. A tail burst out of his back, and swung around wildly. It seemed that his transformation had stopped.

* * *

'_Well, at least he's getting better at keeping the mask from completely transforming him. About 87.38% of his body transformed,_' thought Chuuko.

Minato shouted to Chuuko, "You have to unseal the mask! He's not human anymore!"

Chuuko smirked and said, "I'm going to let Kiokure do it on his own."

At this moment, Shikan appeared next to Minato [_**2**_] and said, "Sorry I'm late. The wife wanted me to entertain her mother." The officer then looked at Kiokure and said, "Hey! I didn't know my mother-in-law was taking the exam!"

* * *

Sasuke leaned over to Naruto and asked, "What the hell did he turn into?"

Naurto was sweating and said, "Lemme ask Kyo-sensei."

_**Ahh, my old friend Ikujinashi. He was an oni that served as my general during the Tanuki-Kitsune Wars. Ikujinashi was a bit of a coward, but with that mask, he became a beast. He died fighting for humans here in Hi no Kuni. I was more proud of him for that then for any battle he won for me.**_

(break)

Ikujinashi looked to Naruto and shouted, "**Konnichiwa, Okami Kyo-sama! I have missed snapping spines and drinking the juices of enemy spleens with you!**"

Everyone in the stadium was disgusted. Even Gaara was a little sickened by what the demon had said. Well, if everyone had known that Kiokure had turned into a demon, they might have been a little bit more understanding.

Ikujinashi turned to Shino and said, "**Do you want to hear a funny story?**

"Tell me where my opponent is," asked Shino calmly.

"**First, a story!**" Ikujinashi said. "**There once was a man from—"**

"I don't have time for this!" shouted Shino as he order his kikaichu to feed on the demon general. They tried to sap his yokai, but began dropping left and right.

"**I see your kikaichu descended from Ka (**_Mosquito_**). Ka could have sapped my yokai, but these weaker creatures would die trying to absorb yokai."**

Ikujinashi stretched his tail out, wrapped it around Shino's leg and slammed him into the wall. "**I am gonna kill you dead!**" He inhaled, then roared, "**Oni Bijutsu: Sakebigoe (**_Demon Art: Scream_**)[**_3_**]!**" He screamed as loud as he could, causing everyone to cover their ears for fear of going deaf. All glass in the building shattered into fine slivers and descend upon the ground like ice crystals. Shino's own ears began to bleed as he absorbed the brunt of the attack.

"**Quite ingenious, boy! To use your kikaichu as impromptu ear plugs! I would have loved to have a soldier like—Arghhhhhhhh!**" Chakra engulfed Ikujinashi, who began screaming in pain. After a few moments, Kiokure was flung from the swirling mask of chakra. The Eiki no Fukumen followed and slid across the dojo. Shino dropped to the ground at the same time, unconscious.

Chuuko raised his arms and shouted, "Both Masurao Kiokure and Aburame Shino are unconscious. Therefore, per Chuunin Selection Exam rules, neither will be allowed to take the third exam."

Naruto growled and shouted, "What? How is that fair?"

Chuuko replied, "In a mission, if these two had fought to the death and got this result, they'd both be dead. So, therefore they lose here."

Medic-nin came to take the boys away and the scoreboard began to flash the next set of faces.

* * *

Sasuke sat naked on the floor of the watchtower basement as Kakashi drew a complex seal over his body. "I'm almost done Sasuke-kun," Kakashi said. He made a long set of hand seals and said, "Fuja Hoin (_Evil Sealing Method_)!" The seal began to regress and cover the curse mark.

"The seal should keep your curse under wraps," Kakashi said. "But it's only as strong as your will is."

Sasuke smirked at Kakashi, and then collapsed in pain. His curse began to throb and he said, "He's here!"

Kakashi spun around and came face to face with Orochimaru. "Mhmmmmm, Ssssassssuke-kun, you look good naked," he said as he licked his lips. "And you Kakasssshi, able to usssse Fuinjutssssu! You make me want you even more!"

"Funny, I always thought you wanted Obito," replied Kakashi. "Why are you here?"

"Have you ever heard of the Otokage?" asked Orochimaru.

"He's the leader of Otogakure, and he's presumed the title of Kage like the leaders of the other smaller ninja villages…why?" Kakashi replied.

"You're looking at him!" thought Orochimaru. "I created Otogakure no Ssssato to be the eternal enemy of Konoha. We both know that one day I plan to desssstroy thissss ssssshithole."

"You really think Konoha will bow down and accept this?" Kakashi spat back.

"I don't exsssspect that of my old home. It'ssss not assss much fun if you give up. I want you all to ssssuffer," said Orochimaru as he licked his lips. "I need pawnssss to throw their life away for my causssse. And to ssssatissssfy my carnal dessssiressss.

"But Ssssassssuke=kun is more. He will not only keep me ssssatiated, but he will—well let'ssss keep ssssome thingssss a ssssecret," Orochimaru chuckled.

Kakashi grabbed his wrist, and electricity burst out of his hand. "You may be the Hebi Sanin, but I can give you hell," Kakashi said.

"And I can help kill you."

Orochimaru chuckled and said, "My old pal Obito. I've missssssssed you. I wissssh we could've had real fun, but you are sssstill frightened of what wassss meant to be. Sssstill fucking Anko-chan?"

Obito growled as his Sharingan blazed with anger. "One more word and we can finish what we started five years ago [_**3**_],"

Orochimaru laughed and said, "That'ssss quite alright, love. I need to get going anyway. Ssssayonara!" He sank into the ground, laughing maniacally all the way.

* * *

Next Time: _Kankuro… that's the fucking guy who beat me up! And he's fighting one of Kabuto's teammates. But this guy is weird; he can stretch his body like Orochimaru! I wonder if Kabuto and his team are…nah! Kabuto is too nice!_

_Match 3! The Snake and the Crow!_

* * *

Next Time: _Oh, Kami! It's the battle of the century! In the blue corner, weighing 79 lbs, the Pink Bombshell, Haruno Sakura! And in the red corner, weighing 95 lbs, the Ice Maiden, Momoichi Haku! Both girls are fighting for the affection of one emo freak! Who will win: the closet Sasuke fangirl or the obvious Sasuke fanhirl?_

_Naruto, I'm gonna kill you!_

_**RUN, KIT!!! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!!**_

_Match 4! Battling for Sasuke's Heart!_

* * *

1-Bikko Uirusu (_Crippling Virus_): A jutsu that only members of the Masurao Clan can use. The user releases a virus that attacks the target's spinal column, leaving him paralyzed.

2- I realized midway through the chapter that Minato's trusty secretary wasn't present. And thank you Uncle Mike for the joke about mothers-in-law. When he saw my crappy attempt to draw Ikujinashi, he said what Shikan said word for word lol.

3- Oni Bijutsu: Sakebigoe (_Demon Art: Scream_): The user gathers yokai in their throats and screams. The scream can knock out lesser opponents and impair the hearing of stronger ones.

4- I'm writing "Gaidens" for Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru, Obito, and Itachi based on my story's history. Throughout this fic, I'll be giving you little clues as to what the Gaiden for that character is about. Obviously, Obito's Gaiden has something to do with Orochimaru.


	18. Chuunin Exams IX

_Match 3! The Snake and The Crow!_

* * *

Chuuko smiled as his brother was wheeled out of the arena on the stretcher. His brother was getting stronger and stronger everyday and Chuuko felt unlimited pride swell through his body. '_At this rate, Kiokure might be able to finally seal that damned mask. All the other Masurao that tried have failed, even you father [__**1**__],_' thought Chuuko.'

Shikan leaned over the spectator's railing and shouted, "Oy! Masurao-ojiisan! The names are on the scoreboard! Announce it already!"

A tick mark appeared on Chuuko's forehead and he shouted, "YOU FUCKING BITCH!!! YOU KNOW HOW OLD I FUCKING AM!!!" Quickly cursing his former teammate and regaining his composure, Chuuko said, "Will Kankuro and Tsurugi Misumi please come to the arena?"

Both Kankuro and Misumi, one of Kabuto's teammates, made their way to the arena. Kankuro had to pass Naruto to reach the stairs. The two boys stared each other down, and Kankuro said, "It's a shame. I was hoping I could fight you. It would've been an easy win."

Naruto growled and replied, "I was thinking the same thing." Kankuro merely smirked and bumped Naruto as he walked by.

Sasuke too was smirking and said, "'I was thinking the same thing'…best you could think of on short notice, dobe?"

"FUCK YOU, YOU EMO FREAK!!!"

* * *

Chuuko raised his arms as Kankuro and Misumi stared each other down. The black-clad Suna-nin removed the bandaged object from his back and tossed it to the side. Misumi chuckled and said, "You must be a fool to toss your weapon aside. Unlike those weaklings Kabuto and Yoroi, I won't be a pushover." Kankuro said nothing; he merely returned the bespectacled ninja's gaze.

"Begin!" shouted Chuuko as he leapt out of the way. Misumi pulled a scroll out of his pouch and began making hand seals. "Kuchiyose no Kajou: Katana (_Item Summoning: Katana_) [_**2**_]!" A plume of smoke surrounded Misumi, who then charged Kankuro, wielding a katana. Kankuro clapped his hands just as the blade lunged for his face, holding it firmly in place. Misumi smirked and stretched his body like a snake and began to constrict around Kankuro's body.

"My clan, the Tsurugi Clan, are masters of espionage. At birth, we undergo a painful surgery that allows us to squeeze into any space. I'm the first of our clan to actually turn this useful ability into a weapon." Kankuro said nothing; he merely tried his hardest to remove Misumi from him.

* * *

Sasuke turned to Naruto and said, "Hey dobe, something's not right with that Kankuro guy."

Naruto placed a hand on his chin and said, "You're right, Sasgay. I just can't put a finger on it."

"It's his movements," said Hinata. Both boys looked at her as she continued, "He's moving funny, almost mechanical like. When he, um, fought Naruto-kun, he fought kinda awkward like someone not used to close range combat."

Naruto thought back to their first meeting, and replied, "You're right."

Sasuke suddenly shouted, "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING GAY?!?!"

* * *

Misumi chuckled at Kankuro's feeble attempts to free himself. "I'm gonna keep constricting around you until I break all your bones! Give up or you'll die!" Misumi shouted. Kankuro headbutted Misumi, breaking his glasses and getting glass into his right eye. "Die, you fucking bastard!" Misumi shouted as he constricted around Kankuro's neck and crushed it.

Suddenly, Kankuro's head spun around and he shouted, "My turn!" He opened his mouth, revealing a large, metal tube. Fire began to pour from it, enveloping Kankuro and Misumi. "Kankuro" walked out of the inferno, revealing he was really a puppet. The real Kankuro cut himself free from the bandaged mass on the floor and smirked as Misumi's severely burnt form became visible.

"Match 3 is over! The winner is Kankuro of Sunagakure no Sato!" Chuuko shouted.

* * *

Naruto shuddered as he watched Kankuro wrap his puppet up. "I hate clowns and puppets…there's nothing but freaks and weirdos here," he said.

Sasuke leaned against the wall and said, "You shouldn't talk."

The score board had stopped, and showed both Haku and Sakura's pictures. Chuuko then shouted, "Will Momoichi Haku and Haruno Sakura please come to the arena?"

* * *

_Match 4! Battling for Sasuke's Heart!_

* * *

"So you're the girl from Kiri, huh?" Sakura said as she stared down the girl.

Haku smiled and said, "Hai. It's nice to meet you!" Sakura didn't say anything as she tied her hitai-ite around her forehead. Haku realized the pink-haired girl wasn't in a talkative mood. "Guess it's time to be serious," she muttered to herself.

"Haku!" The raven-haired girl looked up to see Zabuza standing next to Kakashi. He shook his head and the raven-haired girl sighed in annoyance.

'_I guess I can't go all out today,_' Haku thought.

"HEY HAKU!!! SAKURA THERE IS ONE OF SASUKE'S BIGGEST FANGIRLS!!! IF YOU WANNA WIN HIS HEART YOU HAVE TO KICK HER ASS!!!" Naruto shouted.

Haku blushed and screamed back, "I DON'T LIKE THAT SELF-ABSORBED BASTARD!!!"

Chuuko growled in annoyance and shouted, "CAN WE GET ON WITH THIS DAMNED MATCH?!?! PINKY VS. MS. DENIAL!!! BE-FUCKING-GIN!!!"

Sakura growled and said, "You like my Sasuke-kun?"

Haku rolled his eyes and said, "No, I don't. Don't listen to Naruto, he's a fo—"

"It's not like you can beat me anyway. To be a ninja, especially a kunoichi, you have to be a certain…size [_**3**_]," Sakura said.

Anger spread across Haku's face as she said, "Excuse me?"

Sakura flipped her long hair and said, "No offense hun, but I'm sure Sasuke likes smaller girls, not…cows."

Haku finally lost it and said, "Who the hell are you talking to, you anorexic bitch!"

* * *

Naruto crossed his arms and said, "I wish beautiful girls fought over me like that."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and said, "You know how shallow Sakura is; I'll hurt her feelings and she'll be fighting Hinata-chan for your heart, and the process will repeat until a better-looking or wealthier man comes into the picture."

Hinata began blushing and asked, "W-W-Why would S-S-Sakura-chan want to fight me?"

Sasuke smirked and said, "Haku-chan isn't the only one in denial."

"I'll say, Sasuke-san," replied Zabuza. "Haku is worthy of the –chan honorific, huh?" Sasuke began to blush as everyone laughed at him.

* * *

Sakura sprinted toward Haku and shouted, "Bunshin no Jutsu (_Clone Technique_)!" Two Sakuras appeared and also began sprinting toward Haku. The raven-haired girl simply closed her eyes and focused her chakra. A pipe burst from a nearby wall and fired a massive stream of water at the pinkhead, who narrowly dodged it.

"My kekkei genkei allows me control over water and the air. You can't possibly win with all these water pipes. You'll drown before that happens, toothpick," Haku said as her eyes shone with blue light. She twisted her hands and several more pipes ripped themselves from the wall to spray Sakura. The younger Genin barely avoided the currents. Haku clenched her fist and swung her closed hand upward. All the water on the floor shot up, shaped like a fist, and smashed into her. Sakura flipped through the air and hit her back on the guard railing of the catwalk.

Haku released her control over the water and said, "It's really killing me so I have to ask. Why do all of you narrow-mind, shallow girls throw yourselves at Sasuke?"

Sakura stared at Haku and began stuttering, "Uh, well, um, uh, well he is, um, hot."

Haku scoffed and said, "Exactly. You care about looks, and that's why you'll never get him. Try looking past his face and into his soul." Haku walked away as Sakura stood up shakily. The raven haired girl suddenly spun around and thrust her arms at Sakura. All of the water rushed Sakura and froze.

"THAT'S FOR CALLIING ME FAT, YOU LITTLE BITCH!!!"

* * *

Next Time: _It looks like Kankuro's sister Temari is up next! And she's fighting Bushy Brows' teammate Tenten! I hear that Temari is really strong, but if what Bushy Brows says is right, Tenten is no pushover, either!_

_Match 5! Shipuuden!_

* * *

Next Time: _Finally I get to fight! And I'm fighting that bastard who's always in my Hina-chan's face!_

_**Ooooh, now she is your Hina-chan?**_

_Save it, Kyo-sensei! I got a mutt I need to neuter! _

* * *

1- History Lesson!: The purpose of the Masurao Clan is to destroy the Eiki no Fukumen. It can't be cracked by conventional weaponry, nor burned by even the most potent yokai. Every member of the Masurao clan was either driven insane by the mask or died trying to seal it.

2- Kuchiyose no Kajou: Katana (_Item Summoning: Katana_): A low-level summoning jutsu that release an item from a scroll. The user says the incantation, plus the name of the item they are summoning to release it.

3- I know Ino was dieting like crazy in the manga, but was Sakura too? I couldn't remember so I just made it so. And from my handy-dandy databook Haku waited 15 more lbs than Sakura so it made sense to me for Sakura to make weight jokes.


	19. Chuunin Exams X

Narutosvixen: No, not yet that's next. I called Match 5 Shippuden because of Temari's abilities. I feel really stupid because I just found out Shippuden means Hurricane or something to that affect lol. I always wondered why they called it that.

GravityTheWizard: Naruto won't neuter him…I think.

P5yCH0: I can always count on you to keep me informed :)

Shingen Takeda 1521: I know that was my least favorite chapter :(. I have to get used to writing again; my impromptu vacation made me a little rusty.

BombermanZ22: Awww I feel all warm and fuzzy inside! Lol

* * *

_Match 5! Shippuden!_

* * *

Haku walked back up to the catwalk and came face to face with her father and Squad 7. Naruto smiled at her and flashed a thumbs-up. "Great job, Haku!" Haku growled and punched him with all of her might.

"IF YOU EVER EMBARRASS ME LIKE THAT AGAIN I"LL KILL YOU!!!" she screaned.

Naruto rubbed his head and said, "But you're in denial and I'm trying to bring you out of it, sorta like an intervention."

"I DON'T LIKE THAT VAIN QUEEN!!! I HATE HIM, HATE HIM, HATE HIM!!!" she screamed as she repeatedly pointed at Sasuke.

Zabuza put his hand on her shoulder, and Haku calmed down. "I thought I told you no Hyouton," Zabuza scolded.

Haku pouted and said, "But Daddy…"

Zabuza closed his eyes and said, "No buts. We'll discuss this after the exam."

Sasuke walked over to Haku and placed his hand on her shoulder. He smiled at her and said, "You did good Haku-chan."

Haku smacked his hand away and turned her back to him, sarcastically replying, "Like I need the validation of some thirteen-year-old emo." Thanks to her long hair and the fact that her back was turned, no one could see her blushing or fighting a smile.

"BOOYAH!!! SQUAD 6 RULES!!! IN YO' FACE RIN!!!" shouted Asuma as he pumped his fist in the air and put his foot on the railing. Haku sighed and took water that was left on the floor and commanded it to his her sensei in the mouth. She then froze it, effectively silencing him.

"Arrogant pig," Haku muttered.

* * *

The scoreboard began flashing a pair of faces rapidly. Naruto became frantic; he could be called next, and his yokai was still sealed. '_Kyo-sensei, how's it coming?_' thought Naruto.

_**Better than expected actually. You can regenerate, although you need to put distance between you and your target for 90 seconds. You can also create clones, but only three at a time.**_

'_Well, we still have some time,_' Naruto thought as the scoreboard showed Temari and Tenten's faces.

They made their way down to the arena and stared each other down. Lee and Gai leaned over the railing and shouted to Tenten, "LET YOUR FLAME OF YOUTH BURN BRIGHTER THAN HERS!!! BRIGHTER THAN EVEN THE SUN!!!" Tenten slapped her forehead, ruining the stereotypical high-noon stare down.

Tenten pulled a several scrolls and activated the first. "Kuchiyose no Kajou: Kunai Shippuu (_Item Summoning: Kunai Hurricane_)" she shouted. A massive cloud of smoke enshrouded Tenten. Hundreds of kunai raced from the cloud, all with the intent of skewering Temari.

The blonde Suna-nin merely smirked and made a quick string of hand seals before shouteing, "Fuuton: Shippuu (_Wind Release: Hurricane_) [_**1**_]!" Powerful winds surrounded Temari and flung the kunai in all directions. Everyone ducked to avoid the kunai that lodged themselves into the walls.

"You can't possibly win against my ultimate defense jutsu," said Temari as Tenten activated her second scroll. Two larges boomerangs began spinning toward Temari, but ended up getting sliced into pieces. Temari yawned and said, "I'm getting bored so let's end this quick." She summoned a large fan and opened it. Temari proceeded to swing it, causing the winds to form a twister and drill into Tenten, slicing all over her body. The winds finally died down, leaving Tenten covered in blood.

"Tenten-chan!" shouted Lee as he prepared to leap down to the arena and help her.

Gai placed his hand on the boy's head and said, "Relax Lee-kun. Those cuts aren't fatal; they're just deep enough to draw blood. She was purposely holding back."

Chuuko raised his arms and said, "Winner! Temari of Sunagakure no Sato!"

* * *

Temari walked up the stairs to her brothers and quickly sat down to catch her breath. Gaara turned to her and said, "You're pathetic. You purposely let that girl live."

Temari growled and said, "I don't relish taking innocent lives, unlike you."

Gaara's facial expression never changed as he said, "Just remember: they ARE our enemies." He then turned back as the scoreboard showed two new faces: Inuzuka Kiba and Namikaze Naruto.

* * *

_Match 6! Fang Over Fang!_

* * *

Kiba and Naruto both leapt over the railing and gracefully landed on the arena floor. Kiba turned to Hinata and flashed a huge smile. "I'll kick this geek's ass for you Hinata!"

Anger instantly coursed through every one of Naruto's molecules. "Excuse me?"

Kiba smirked and said, "Didn't you know? I've been courting Hinata-chan for almost two years now! And word around the village is you like her too."

"Who I like is none of your concern," said Naruto. "I know all about you Kiba; you really are a dog. I won't allow scum like you to even dream of dating my friend!"

Kiba chuckled and said, "It's ok. You're scared because you know I've already won, especially since Akamaru here fights with me." Kiba pointed to the small white pooch that was resting in his grey jacket. He pulled the dog out and set it on the floor.

Naruto growled in anger and shouted, "You need help to fight me? And from a damned puppy? You're truly pathetic!"

"Fine, Akamaru'll stay outta it," Kiba said. "It's just me and you tough guy." Chuuko signaled for the match to begin. And Kiba wasted no time making hand seals and shouting, "Shikyaku no Jutsu (_Four Legs Technique_)!" Kiba dropped so that he was on his hands n knees. His claws and teeth grew, and a wild look appeared in his eye. Kiba closed the gap between him and Naruto quickly and slashed his throat.

Suddenly, the ground beneath Kiba gave way, and he fell into a black abyss. Moments later, large, metallic spikes burst from the ground, intent on skewering the boy. Kiba slashed his arm with his claw, ending the genjutsu and allowing him to dodge the barrage of kunai Naruto flung at him.

"Relying on genjutsu to help you? I thought you were a tough guy!" said Kiba.

Naruto smirked and said, "I am. You, on the other hand, don't think before you act. I see your dog is going to have to help you think rationally."

_**Kit, that is not wise! You are only at about 9% strength!**_

Naruto ignored Kyo's comments and continued to provoke Kiba. "Guessing by how you fight, you're the bitch in this relationship, huh?"

Kiba roared and screamed, "I've got your bitch right here!" Kiba reached into his ouch and pulled out a red pill, which he tossed into the air. Akamaru leapt up and caught it, then ate it. His fur turned red, and Kiba made a hand seal. He shouted, "Jujin Bunshin no Jutsu (_Beast Human Clone_)!" Kiba quickly tossed several smoke bombs to mask his movements.

Naruto reached for the Ierokitsune, but a large shock passed from the hilt to his fingers, stunning the depowered Kitsune. '_Kyo-sensei, what the hell just happened?_'

_**Your body is not producing enough yokai for the Ierokitsune to recognize you as a demon. Therefore, merely reaching for it will hurt you. Touching it will kill you.**_

Suddenly, Kiba ran out of the smokescreen and slashed the distracted boy across his chest diagonally. A second Kiba slashed Naruto diagonally from behind, knocking the Ierokitsune off of his back. Kiba 2 leapt onto Naruto's back and began slashing his chest with wild abandon. Kiba 1 kicked Naruto into the air, and then slashed horizontally across his stomach. Kiba 2 kicked off of Naruto's back and landed next to his clone.

"How do you like my Jujin Bunshin Rendan (_Beast Human Clone Combo_)?" the Kiba's smugly asked as Naruto slowly stood to his feet.

"It's weak, just like you are," Naruto spat back. He reached into his pouch and tossed out his own smoke bombs. The arena became enshrouded in smoke once more. Kiba and Akamaru both tensed; they couldn't smell or hear Naruto coming. Suddenly, they could sense Naruto coming…from two different directions!

The smoke thinned and Naruto lay on the arena floor, unconscious. He exploded into a plume of smoke, and a second Naruto crashed into the wall with Kiba holding his throat.

"It's a shame you're so easy to read!" Naruto shouted as his body began to glow with a blue light. Electricity consumed Kiba, who howled in pain. Kiba transformed into Akamaru and dropped to the floor, unconscious.

The real Kiba was flung from the smokescreen, and landed on a heap on the floor. Naruto quickly followed and kicked the dog boy in his ribs, causing him to roll across the arena.

"You rely on that dog too much. While you and Akamaru were distracted by the smokescreen, I created a Kage Bunshin and a Seishou Bunshin and sent them after you. Because of the material needed to make them, you couldn't smell them. Then I used the Seishou Bunshin to pick off Akamaru so that I can take you out," Naruto said.

Kiba coughed out a mouthful of blood and stood to his feet. He chuckled and said "I thought this would be easy. I am fighting the dead-last. But how did you know to send your clone after Akamaru?"

Naruto smirked and said, "When you two would 'talk,' I could tell by *points at fox ears* these bad boys that you were the only one talking."

* * *

While all the other Jonin commented on how strong Naruto was, Minato showed no emotion as he watched the fight. '_You may look like me, but your mother's spirit lives within you. I am proud of you Naruto,_' thought Minato.

Time slowed to a halt and a voice called out to Minato. _So why do you act as if you could care less?_

Minato's eyes widened and he said, "Why do you haunt me?"

_You of all people should know that the soul cannot move on if it has unfinished business._

"What unfinished business?" Minato half asked, half screamed. "I killed them all! Go on to the afterlife!"

_My unfinished business lies with Uzumaki Naruto._

"Why do you continue to call him that? He's a damned Namikaze! And what does he have to do with anything [_**2**_]?" Minato asked angrily.

_Everything._

And time resumed.

* * *

"So you got a little stronger since December," said Kiba. "I have to and I'm gonna end this fight!"

"Humph. Bring it on then!" shouted Naruto.

Kiba flung several shuriken toward Naruto, who deflected them with his kunai. He made several hand seals and shouted, "Tsuga (_Piercing Fang_)!" He leapt off the ground and began spinning so fast he resembled a twister. He quickly closed the gap between him and Naruto and began barraging him with kicks, punches, and slashes.

Naruto slowly stood to his feet, blood flowing freely from his wounds. Kiba released his jutsu and laughed at Naruto, who was wobbling as he tried to regain his breath.

"You're a weakling! Stop acting so tough!" shouted Kiba as Naruto finally regained his balance.

"I'm not as weak as you want to believe," said Naruto. "My strength comes from my own sense of worth! No one acknowledges who I am, but they will soon! I won't just be the son of the Yondaime, or the demon brat! I'll be a pillar of hope for the village!"

Kiba smirked and said, "Is that so?"

Naruto's eyes turned yellow and began to spin rapidly. They soon became spirals and he vanished. A fraction of a second later, he appeared behind Kiba and punched him with all of his might. Kiba crashed into the wall so hard cracks traveled all over it like a spider web.

"It's so!" shouted Naruto.

Chuuko waited ten seconds before declaring, "Match 6 is over! Winner, Namikaze Naruto of Konohagakure no Sato!"

* * *

Next Time: _Hinata is up next, and she's fighting her cousin, Neji. This guy has a major attitude problem though. Always rambling on and on about destiny. But what's with Hina-chan? I've never seen her…angry before._

_Match 7! The Hyuuga Blood Boils Over!_

* * *

Next Time: _Alright! Bushy Brows gets to fight! But he's fighting that weird guy from Suna._

_**Kit, there is something very familiar about Gaara-san. He smells like…oh no! Kit, you need to end this fight! Lee-san's life is in jeopardy!**_

_Match 8! The Bandit King!_

* * *

1- Fuuton: Shippuu (_Wind Release: Hurricane_): The user must have Wind-aligned chakra to use this jutsu. The user expels this chakra from all of the points on their body. This jutsu effectively prevents weapons from reaching the target by blowing them away; prevents the user from getting close; and stops Suiton and Raiton jutsu. The winds can also be sent to a target and attack it. The largest weakness to this jutsu is that the user is still susceptible to Doton (which usually relies on seismic activity or larger boulders, which won't be repelled by the winds) and Katon (which would be strengthened by the winds and incinerate the user). Also, the user must have high chakra reserves to maintain this jutsu; the average ninja can only perform this jutsu for five minutes.

2- I'm setting up for the arc after this exam. You'll get Minato's background, what happened to Kushina, the dissolution of Hiashi and Minato's friendship, and why Minato doesn't spend time with Naruto.


	20. Chuunin Exams XI

Shingen Takeda 1521: They are for me too. That's why I'm doing two in one chapter. Also, I realized that I forgot Shikamaru's fight, but we both know he'd have won lol.

Red-volpe: I have to keep things fresh or else you guys might as well read the manga!

Narutosvixen: Yeah, it was. And you'll see another awesome jutsu from Hina-chan!

Thanks also to Bahumat Knight and P5yCH0 for the words of encouragement!

* * *

_Match 7! The Hyuuga Blood Boils Over!_

* * *

_**Kit, what the hell did you just do? You damaged the seal greatly!**_

'_I…I…I don't know! I was mad and I felt all this energy rushing into me! I thought you did it!_' thought Naruto.

_**This is amazing! The Gogyo Fuin is one of three Kage-level Fuuinjutsu (**__Seal Technique__**)! To be able to rip most of the complex infrastructure of the seal apart with sheer will power is amazing!**_

'_That's me, the number one, hyperactive, knuckleheaded ninja! I'm chock full of surprises!_'

* * *

The scoreboard flashed through the remaining faces while Shikan leaned over to Minato and whispered, "When did Naruto-kun unlock the Kaiten Me?"

Minato didn't answer him; he was still shaken up by the spirit that had appeared to him. Shikan snapped his fingers in front of his sensei's eyes.

"Huh? Oh, um, I don't know when he unlocked it. My guess is he did it through independent training; Kakashi would have told me by now if he unlocked it on a mission or during one of their sessions," Minato replied.

Shikan looked at the Yondaime with worry and said, "Are you ok Minato-sensei [_**1**_]?"

Fortunately for Minato, the scoreboard stopped flashing and Chuuko called for the next set of fighters. "Will Hyuuga Neji and Hyuuga Hinata please enter the arena?"

* * *

Hinata gripped the railing hard when she saw Neji's picture. '_All the years you picked on me and called me weak…I'm getting so well deserved payback!_' she thought as she leapt over the railing.

Neji smirked when he saw that Hinata was his opponent. '_Ah, I get to fight the weakest ninja produced from our clan. Someone who doesn't deserve to be a member of the main house. I'll kill her right here and prove to Hiashi-sama that the branch house is powerful,_' thought Neji as he too leapt over the railing into the arena.

The two Hyuugas stared each other down. Killing intent leaked from both of their bodies, causing everyone to be on edge. Neji smirked and said, "I never thought I'd get to fight you, but I can't say I'm terribly displeased by the turn of events, Hinata-sama," said Neji, adding a burst of venom with his last word.

"I'm happy I got you too, Brother Neji," said Hinata. "I can kick your ass for all the years you picked on me, you bastard!"

* * *

"What's the deal with Hinata-chan?" asked Sasuke.

Naruto sighed and said, "For as long as I can remember, Neji picked on Hina-chan ruthlessly. He'd hit her, humiliate her, and do other things to hurt her. She usually seems scared of him, but this is new. This anger coming from her, I don't think I've ever seen Hinata even a little mad."

"So basically you're a useless waste of space?" Sasuke said quickly.

"Yup—HEY, YOU PILLOW-BITING PIECE OF SHIT!!!" shouted Naruto as he attempted to strangle a laughing Sasuke. Zabuza slammed his massive cleaver in between them.

"Makes me glad I have a girl," he said.

"I think I might be able to shed some light on the situation." Everyone turned to see Lee near them. "It seems that tensions are building between the Hyuuga clan's main and branch house. The leader of the main house is Hinata's father, Hyuuga Hiashi, whereas the branch house is led by Neji-kun's father, Hyuuga Hizashi [_**2**_].

"Neji-kun never talks about why the two houses clash. No one outside of the Hyuuga family seems to know why either," Lee said.

"Oh, wow!" shouted Haku as she pointed to the arena.

* * *

Neji smirked after Chuuko signaled for the match to begin and said, "You know, spoiled brats like you don't make for good shinobi."

Hinata growled and replied, "And I suppose arrogant jerks like you do?"

"We can sit here all day and trade insults, Hinata-sama," said Neji, "or we can trade blows!"

Hinata took advantage of Neji's mini-speech to quickly close the distance between them and attempt to land a blow on his chest. Neji parried the blow with an open palmed thrust of his own. The force of the blows knocked the two away from each other. They forced chakra through the sealed tenketsu in their hands.

"My, my, Hinata-sama! I had no idea you could be so ferocious!" shouted Neji.

"I'm not the same weak little girl you used to pick on!" Hinata screamed back as she made a hand seal. Neji made the same hand seal and they both shouted, "Byakugan!" The veins connected to their eyes bulged, and the two Hyuugas dropped into their Juken stances.

The two stood still for only a brief moment, and then began to assault each other. They expertly dodge, parried, and threw out powerful Juken strikes.

"Your problem is that you are too kind! You hate confrontation, and your will is too malleable! You seek harmony!" shouted Neji.

"People change, especially when they're determined!" Hinata shouted back. Neji's plan to distract Hinata worked, and he manage to land a powerful blow on her left arm, leaving it numb and knocking away the Hyuuga princess.

"You can't change your destiny. Losers are born to be losers; their personality and luck can never change. No matter how hard we try, I'll always be the genius pauper, and you the loser princess," Neji said smugly.

"Get ready, princess," Neji said, "because I'm not stopping until the floor's dyed red with your blood!"

* * *

_Hinata crashed into the wall of the Hyuuga dojo for the fifth time in less than an hour. The eleven-year-old princess had just lost to her younger sister. Despite her father's encouraging words, she was still losing._

"_One more time, Hinata!" shouted Hiashi as the younger Hyuuga weakly stood to her feet. She charged her sister and the two became locked in another high-speed Taijutsu battle. During the fight, one of the Hyuuga elders kneeled beside Hiashi._

"_How's the training going?" he asked._

"_Better. Hanabi's skills are most impressive, almost on par with Neji-kun. And Hinata has improved leaps and bounds," Hiashi replied. A moment later, Hinata crashed into the wall a sixth time, too weak to continue._

"_Hmph," the Hyuuga elder said. "Hiashi, the other elders want to know which of these girls will lead the main house and which will be in the branch house?"_

_Hiashi simply replied, "I haven't decided."_

_The Hyuuga elder growled and replied, "What do you mean you haven't decided? It's obvious that Hanabi is the best choice! She's not only the spitting image of Hinode-sama, but Hanabi has the same skill level as she did at her age!"_

"_I know," said Hiashi._

"_Don't get snippy with me! Need I remind you that the only reason you're the clan head is because of Hinode-sama's death [**3**]? You're our leader by relation, not choice! You can still be voted out!" the elder shouted._

_Again, Hiashi replied, "I know."_

"_Keep trying to protect that spoiled, weakling of a daughter and I'll—"_

_Hiashi thrust his hand past the elder's head, and destroyed the wall behind it. His Byakugan blazed with anger as he shouted, "Speak ill of my daughter again, and I'll make sure the next blow knocks your head off!"_

_The elder stood up, obviously rattled, and shouted back, "The elders will hear of this!" He quickly left the room and Hiashi deactivated his Byakugan._

"_Standing up to the elders…that's a new one." Hiashi spun around and came face to face with his twin, Hizashi. "Elder-sama is right, you know," Hizashi said._

"_Agreeing with an elder…that's a new one," Hiashi spat._

"_Hear me out big brother," Hizashi said, "Hinata is weak and soon the council will grow tired of your deflecting."_

"_I don't need you stating the obvious," Hiashi said. He summoned some of the Hyuuga medics in to take Hinata out. Unbeknownst to him, Hinata was very conscious and heard every word spoken about her. She struggled to keep her tears from falling from her eyes, lest they betray her._

* * *

Hinata snapped out of her reverie and grabbed Neji's hand a centimeter away from her heart. She released her sealed tenketsu and thrust her hand to his heart. Neji flung his arm in the way and the bone in it cracked. Neji screamed in pain as he leapt away.

"Stupid bitch!" Neji screamed. '_Damn it! My arm just fucking healed! I'm gonna make her pay!_' he thought.

* * *

"Ouch," Lee said, "Neji broke his arm six weeks ago in a sparring session. He is not going to be very happy about that."

"Naruto, she's never fought this hard before even when big sword here tried to kill us," said Sasuke.

"Big sword?" Naruto and Zabuza both said at the same time, one with amusement, the other with annoyance. "Is that really the best you've got?"

Sasuke slapped his forehead and said, "Get serious, you two! I know that look in Hinata's eyes. She might do something she regrets."

* * *

"The problem with our clan, Neji," said Hinata, "is that we rely too much on Taijutsu. I, on the other hand, plan to change that!" Hinata thrust her hands to the side, and Neji did the same.

"Urrgh…what…what are…what are you doing?" Neji shouted as she struggled to gain control of his body.

"It's a technique my mother created, called Furoketsueki no Jutsu (_Flowing Blood Technique_) [_**4/5**_]," Hinata said. "Like my mother, I can control all forms of liquid, even blood. I use this ability to gain control of my opponent. And I'm going to end this fight.

"Normally, a practitioner of Juken only needs to lightly touch the target to cause massive internal damage," Hinata said, "but you can imagine what a massive blow would do."

Neji's eyes widened and he shouted, "You wouldn't!"

Hinata smirked and replied, "Would you?" She thrust her hand into her stomach as hard as she could, and Neji did so as well. Hinata deactivated her Byakugan, only causing a small amount of damage to herself. Neji, on the other hand, was hit hard and spat out a mouthful of blood. He dropped to the ground and weakly held his hand out to Hinata.

"Hi…na…ta…" he said before the frenzying calm of unconsciousness slipped over him.

"Winner! Hyuuga Hinata of Konohagakure no Sato!" Chuuko shouted. Hinata collapsed on the ground after this, and darkness enshrouded her as well.

* * *

_Match 8! The Bandit King!_

* * *

Naruto leapt off the catwalk and, using his Kaiten Me, materialized behind Hinata and caught her before she hit the ground. '_Hina-chan, please be ok!_' thought Naruto.

"Yo, blondie! Put her on the stretcher so she get healed!" shouted Chuuko. Naruto gently placed her on the stretcher and watched as she and Neji were wheeled away.

"Now get outta the way Romeo! The next match is about to start!" Chuuko shouted. Naruto looked at the door a moment longer, then returned to the catwalk.

The scoreboard had finished flashing faces, showing the faces of Lee and Gaara.

"Will Rock Lee of Konohagakure no Sato and Gaara of Sunagakure no Sato come to the arena?"

* * *

"Alright!" Lee shouted as he ran to the arena.

_**There is something awfully familiar about Gaara-kun.**_

'_He is a demon. Maybe you know his parents or something,_' offered Naruto.

…_**Maybe.**_

* * *

Gaara licked his lips in excitement. "All this fighting…is filling me full of…lust," Gaara moaned as he walked to the arena.

Temari and Kankuro tensed up immediately. They began praying for Lee; when Gaara got like he is, the only thing that can satiate it is the death of whomever is closest.

* * *

Lee and Gaara faced each other in the arena. Lee was smiling like crazy at the prospect of fighting; Gaara face was devoid of any emotions. His eyes, however, shone with a crazed glint.

"It is an honor to fight against you Gaara-kun," Lee said respectfully. Gaara said nothing. He simply narrowed his eyes as Lee dropped into a Taijutsu stance.

* * *

'_**Those eyes are troublesome…why can I not figure out who he is?**_' thought Kyo as Chuuko signaled for the match to begin.

* * *

Gaara made a hand seal and shouted, "Suna Shuriken (_Sand Shuriken_)!" Several shuriken's made of sand materialized in front of Gaara and flung themselves at Lee. The master martial artist leapt over them, grabbed two, and flung them back at Gaara at twice the speed.

Gaara flicked his wrist and the shuriken dissolved into mere grains of sand. Lee used the distraction to get Behind Gaara and attempt to kick him in the head. The cork popped out of his gourd and sand flowed from it, forming an impregnable, solid wall. Lee kicked it, but quickly leapt away as the sand attempted to creep over his leg. Gaara counterattacked by forming a fist with the sand and smashing Lee against the arena wall.

* * *

_**Fucking Hell! I know who he is now Kit! You have to get the referee to end this fight!**_

'_Woah, woah, woah! What are you talking about?_' Naruto said.

_**One thousand years ago, when was Okami of Ancient Hi no Kuni, there was a group of nomads in Kaze no Kuni who worshipped Tanuki demons. Their leader was a powerful warrior named Shukaku. We called him the Bandit King.**_

_**Shukaku was born the son of the Okami of Kaze no Kuni at the time and grew up in the lap of luxury. But a war broke out between the nomads and the imperial forces. The nomads were bloodthirsty monsters who invade Suna and slaughtered all who crossed their path. The nomads eventually invaded the palace and captured Shukaku, who was only 6.**_

_**They wanted a deal; they'd return Shukaku unharmed if the Okami would abdicate the throne and allow one of their chieftains to gain control. The Okami agreed to meet them in the just beyond his kingdom in the bowels of desert.**_

_**Just as Shukaku was to be handed over, the Okami thrust a sword into his own son's heart. Shukaku died there that day.**_

'_Wait, I'm lost. If he died, what's he have to do with Gaara?_' asked Naruto.

_**Shukaku was reborn, as a demon. His soul was merged with that of a Tanuki Demon, and he became the Rosutoomoi (**__The Lost Heart__**) [**__6__**].**_

_**In an instant, Shukaku used his new powers to gain control of the very sand in the desert and slaughtered his father and the soldiers that came with him.**_

_**The nomads took Shukaku to their village and the head chieftain, Genkeishitsu (**__Plasma__**) [**__7__**], raised him as if he was his own son. Shukaku became a very warped individual who enjoyed torture and causing pain.**_

_**By the time he was 16, Shukaku killed Genkeishitsu to become the head chieftain. Then, he left the village to return to Suna. He became known as the Guntai no Ichi (**__Army of One__**).**_

'_W-W-Why is that?_' asked Naruto nervously.

_**He used his power to completely wipe out and kill all of the inhabitants of Suna. Shukaku brought his nomads there, made himself Okami, and renamed the land Akasuna (**__Red Sand__**). He and I have fought many wars for the lands that currently rest between Hi and Kaze. I hate him more than I've ever felt for anyone.**_

'_W-W-Why is that?_' asked Naruto again, even more nervously.

_**He killed me.**_

* * *

Lee recovered from the hit and charged at the demon again. He vanished and attempted a roundhouse kick toward Gaara's temple, then vanished again to appear in front of Gaara. Lee thrust his fist toward the boy's face. The sand rushed up and formed a wall to block the blow.

Lee leapt away and cursed his situation. '_He has not moved an inch since the fight began, and I can't even graze him! This is insanity!_' he thought as Gaara finally moved to face him. Lee almost didn't notice he was standing in a pile of sand.

"Sunaton: Gouben no Da-sute (_Sand Release: Pool of a Dozen Hands_) [_**8**_]!" Gaara said. Lee leapt up into the air as twelve hands of sand attempted to grab him. They all merged together to form one large hand and grabbed the spandex-wearing boy. Lee was then flung into the wall, finally causing the cracked wall to crumble on top of him.

The wall of sand raised again as two sets of weights made their way to Gaara. They broke throw the wall, much to Gaara's surprise. His body exploded into a pile of sand and the weights past through them. They continued to careen to the other wall, which was promptly destroyed.

Gaara's body reformed, but Lee wasn't giving him a chance. He punched at Gaara's head. The sand demon barely managed to block the fist with his sand. Lee had vanished again, and Gaara got on the defensive. Lee materialized again and successfully kicked Gaara twice on the top of his head.

* * *

"Oh shit! Oh Shit! Oh shit!" said Kankuro over and over as Gaara stayed bent over from the attack.

"Kami, help Rock Lee," Temari murmured as she began praying harder.

* * *

"Time to up the ante!" Lee shouted as he focused his chakra into his legs. He moved so fast, that even with his Kaiten Me's blazing, Naruto had moments where he lost him.

Gaara's sand was confused; it couldn't tell where the attack was coming from. Lee landed a heavy blow on Gaara's cheek flinging him across the room. "That is the power of the Goken (_Strong Fist_) Style!" Lee shouted.

Gaara stood to his feet as his face began to crack and shatter like glass. A maniacal smile spread across his face. "Time to die!" Gaara screamed as his gourd burst and sand covered his body. "Suna no Yoroi (_Armor of Sand_)!" Gaara shouted as the sand hardened around his skin.

Lee unwrapped the bandages on his arms and began to sprint toward Gaara. Just before he made it to the Tanuki, Lee backflipped and landed on the wall. He kicked off of it with all his strength, and flipped his body so his legs hit under Gaara's chin. The force of the blow knocked Gaara up into the air. Lee got behind him and wrapped his bandages around Gaara.

"Omote Renge (_Front Lotus_)!" Lee screamed as he and Gaara began to spin at a high speed toward the ground. They crashed into the ground, causing a crater so massive, the arena was left in shambles.

Gaara's armor lay in shambles, with the Tanuki crawling out of the crater gasping for air. Lee dropped to his knees, gasping for air as well. Gaara recovered first and shouted, "Sunaton: Sunaya (_Sand Release: Sand Arrows_) [_**9**_]!"

The sand formed hard, dense arrows and flung themselves at Lee. The arrows pierced his body, narrowly avoiding vital organs. Gaara proceeded to smack Lee around with his sand and laughed about the boy's predicament.

Lee suddenly vanished and appeared on the far side of the ruined arena. "It is time…that I got serious!" He began focusing his chakra and his skin turned red as green chakra wrapped around him.

"I've already opened up Kaimon (_Gate of Opening_) and Kyumon (_Gate of Healing_)! Open, Seimon (_Gate of Life_)!" Lee screamed as the chakra exploded. Even Gaara was a bit nervous by the turn of events.

"Open, Shomon (_Gate of Harm_)!" Lee shouted. The chakra turned yellow and the ground beneath him began to crack. Lee moved so fast, Naruto lost him. He kicked Gaara into the air and began a savage assault of punches and kicks. Lee made some hand seals and shouted, "Mandarin Dance [_**10**_]!"

* * *

Naruto stared wide-eyed before asking, "I…I…I thought Lee can't use jutsu?"

Sasuke, also staring wide-eyed, replied, "My guess is that all this energy lets him."

'_He could have killed me!_' thought Sasuke as his curse mark began to throb. A scowl spread across his face as he gripped the railing. The cool metal bent from his touch as he struggled to control the curse.

* * *

Lee vanished again, and several shockwaves smacked Gaara all over the arena. The final blow caused an explosion so massive the catwalks collapsed, forcing the ninja to leap onto the two remaining walls to avoid being dragged into the fight.

"Tomon (_Gate of Limits_)! Open!" shouted Lee as his body began to radiate golden chakra. Lee kicked Gaara into the air and performed the Mandarin Dance once more. Instead of the usual finishing blow, Lee wrapped his bandages around Gaara and yanked him up. He thrust his palm and foot into Gaara and screamed, "Ura Renge (_Reverse Lotus_)!"

Gaara slammed through the floors of the tower, until he became lodged in the floor of the basement. The tower was beginning to collapse around them. Lee kicked off of a falling chunk of ceiling and followed the Tanuki.

* * *

"Shit!" Minato shouted as he activated his Kaiten Me. He made some hand seals and shouted, "Hiraishin no Jutsu (_Flying Thunder God Technique_)!" A bright yellow flash filled the room and everyone had vanished.

They reappeared outside, with Hinata, Neji, Yoroi, Misumi, Tenten, Sakura, Ino, and Kiba lying on the grass. "Chuuko! The match is over! Stop this damned fight while I get these kids medical attention!" Minato shouted as he vanished again, the injured kids following suit.

* * *

Lee landed in the basement just as the tower came crashing down, barring escape. Gaara stood to his feet; his Suna no Yoroi was destroyed and bruises adorned his body. "**I will kill you!**" Gaara screamed as he staggered toward Lee, hands outstretched like a zombie.

The green beast merely smirked as he charged Gaara and punched him so hard, the Tanuki broke through the foundation and created a massive fissure in the earth. Lee materialized in front of him and kicked him high into the night sky. He leapt out of the fissure and prepared to go after Gaara, when a sudden burst of unimaginable pain left Lee immobile. His chakra dimmed, revealing the bruises and gashes that he had accumulated from his battle. His whole body ached, and Lee knew he had lost the fight.

He just didn't know how much he was about to lose.

* * *

Next Time: _No…Bushy Brows…it's all over…_

_The Prelims End! The Lotus Blooms No More?!_

* * *

1- Minato has trained nine people during his ninja career. We know that Kakashi, Obito, and Rin were his first. Now we see that Shikan was fourth and, by process of elimination, so was Chuuko. I'll be revealing the other four throughout the story.

2- More foreshadowing for the next arc! Re-read chapter four if you want another hint!

3- Come on, Hinode is badass and i haven't even given her an appearance yet! I kinda viewed the house leadership in the Hyuuga Clan like a monarchy so naturally if the Queen is in control, then dies, the control is thrust to her husband, then her children.

4- Furoketsueki no Jutsu (_Flowing Blood Technique_): A Kinjutsu. The user must be have Suiton chakra to perform this jutsu. They can manipulate the blood of their opponent and make them kill themselves or stop the flow of blood to the heart. It is used in assassinations. It requires massive amounts of chakra, and can kill those with low reserves.

5- I got the idea for this jutsu from _Avatar: The Last Airbender_. One of the protagonists, Katara, could manipulate the blood of her enemies and control their body. So I borrowed (no, stole T_T) the technique and made it my own.

6- There's that Rosuto word again! I wonder if anyone can figure out why it's relevant…

7- New Character (_Genkeishitsu_): A chieftain of the ancient tribe of nomads that are the ancestors of the modern-day inhabitants of Sunagakure no Sato. He was an able-bodied warrior who gained strength from ingesting the blood of others.

8- Sunaton: Gouben no Da-sute (_Sand Release: Pool of a Dozen Hands_): The user must be near sand to use this jutsu. The user creates a number of hands from the sand to immobilize the target. Skilled users can turn this into an offensive weapon or create more than twelve hands.

9- Sunaton: Sunaya (_Sand Release: Sand Arrows_): The user creates arrows out of sand.

10- Mandarin Dance: A technique from a foreign land. The user must unlock at least four of their chakra gates to use it. Moving at rapid speeds, the user assaults their foe, ending with a final punch to the gut. The last hit is explosive and almost assures a fatality. The technique assures death for the user as well.


	21. Chuunin Exams XII

I apologize to the long hiatus. I got caught sneaking out of the house (damned little brother sold me up the river lol) and got the dreaded indefinite punishment. School is starting soon so I got my laptop back but still no cellphone (I am dying here lol).

* * *

Narutosvixen: Yeah…………It's the influence of Shukaku. Whereas with Naruto and Kyo, who share a symbiotic relationship, Shukaku is a parasite trying to erase Gaara to be whole again. By the by, do you want an awesome Bijuu fight scene? =)

Shingen Takeda 1521: You, my friend, are too damn smart lol. If you look up the history of the Kitsune, you'll see that the number of tails means age, not power. I kinda twisted this a little in the story (you'll see after I finish with Minato's story). Naturally, Hina-chan is awesome lol!

Also, you're right and wrong. Minato treats Naruto funny because………well you'll see but it's not because he wishes Kakashi is his son (although he does love Kakashi as his son, that isn't the reason), and it's not an Uchiha Clan kekkai genkai issue.

And I decided they will get together before the Chuunin Exams are over. How…I have no clue.

Red-volpe: Of course, I have to keep her classy lol. And Rosuto showed up in the 5th chapter I believe. Read the one where Naruto meets the Kyuubi. Oh, and both but like I said earlier, it's all Shukaku.

Thanks for the positivity GravityTheWizard!

* * *

_The Prelims End! The Lotus Blooms No More?!_

* * *

Gaara watched as Lee fell to the ground and the vilest smile anyone had ever seen spread across his face as the Suna-nin let gravity take its course. The Tanuki stretched his arm out toward Lee and watched with glee as the sands rushed over the boy's body, leaving only his head visible.

* * *

_**Fuck! Kit, that is Shukaku's killing move; the move he killed me with! You have to end this, now! **_

Naruto grabbed the Ierokitsune and prepared to strike Gaara down with his Onichishuuha. Chuuko stepped in front of him and shouted, "Shikan! Do it now!"

The glorified secretary quickly removed his medallion and made some hand seals. It began to glow green and he broke into full sprint, trying to reach Gaara before it was too late.

'_Damn it! He's too injured to complete the jutsu right away, but Shikan might not make it in time!_' Chuuko thought. Naruto was thinking the same thing and used his Kaiten Me to materialize along side of Shikan. He grabbed the ninja and vanished, reappearing in front of Gaara.

Shikan slammed his medallion into Gaara's forehead and shouted, "Bijuu Seichuu: Nemuri (_Tailed Beast Control: Sleep_) [_**1**_]!" Green lines spread all over Gaara's body from the point of impact, causing him to fall asleep. However, he clenched his hand while doing so.

The sickening sound of bones crunching filled the quite night air.

* * *

Minato had successfully dropped the kids off at the hospital and was about to head back to the ruins of the tower, when a white light blinded him.

He was in the middle of a ravaged field. A large, hulking shadow [_**2**_] was holding another silhouette, this a female, by her head and crushed it. The blood sprayed all over his face and the hulking man laughed as he ripped the head off of the body and flung it away.

"You're speed can't help you here, Yondaime!" shouted the man as the ground gave way and Minato fell into a bottomless void.

* * *

Everyone watched in horror and disgust as the blood covered sands retreated to Gaara's gourd. Lee's crushed, mangled, lifeless body was revealed to the small crowd. He looked so deformed, it was impossible to believe it was the same boy.

Naruto dropped to his knees, tears streaming from his eyes. '_I wasn't fast enough…Lee…_' the Kitsune thought as he looked at his dead friend. Then, he turned to the sleeping Tanuki and felt bile rise to his mouth.

'_You bastard…__**I'll fucking kill you!**_' thought Naruto as black yokai rose from his form.

_**Kit, relax! You are going to kill someone!**_

Naruto ignored his sensei and began trudging toward Gaara. The pressure of the evil yokai caused Naruto to walk slowly. The very earth seemed to crack underneath the pressure as he outstretched his arms. Shikan was too quick for Naruto, slammed his medallion into Naruto and the yokai receded as the boy too fell asleep.

Sasuke ran to Naruto to make sure Naruto was still alive and looked at Shikan. What he saw shocked him beyond anything he had ever seen.

* * *

Kyo walked through the sewer system that is Naruto's mind. He reached a large rusted pipe and walked through it until he reached a large metallic door. Kyo pressed his hand against it and watched as his yokai seeped through his hand to the door. The metallic door rusted and Kyo pushed it, knocking it down.

On the other side of the door was a dirt path leading to Konoha. Or rather, what's left of it. The village was destroyed; signs of fire and battle marred the earth and the ruins of the village. Black flames surrounded the village

After an eternity of walking, Kyo reached the Hokage Tower, the only building in somewhat good condition. Sitting on a throne on top of it was man in red armor with a dark blue body suit underneath. He had two swords strapped to his back; the blades were shaped like lightning bolts. He had short, spiky hair that stood up in the back (much like Sasuke's). In fact, he looked like a more mature, adult version of the Uchiha emo. The man chuckled and said, "Yo! Okami Kyo graces me with his presence."

"_**This is not a leisure visit,**_" Kyo said. "_**I should have known you were behind the black yokai, Izuna [**__3__**]. Black was always your favorite color.**_"

"True," Izuna said as he stroked his chin. "Maybe I should've gone with hot pink."

Kyo groaned and shook his head before asking, "_**How did you get in here?**_"

Izuna grinned and replied, "Like you did! I kinda like this kid's vision—real twisted and whatnot. You know it was like this when I got here? He must really hate this place somewhere in his gut."

"_**I will ask again; how did you get here?**_" Kyo asked.

Izuna rolled his eyes and said, "You're just like aniki-san; you never listen to me. And I hate repeating myself. Begone, knave! Hehe, I always wanted to say that!"

The black flames twisted together to form a large, black dragon, ready to strike the King of Kitsunes down. Kyo scoffed, and turned back toward the sewer and walked away.

* * *

Chuuko turned to Shikan and said, "Take them back to the village while I finish the exam." The man nodded and held the two boys. He averted his eyes from Sasuke's, who was still shocked from what he saw.

The old looking Chuunin walked to the middle of the clearing and said, "Temari, Kankuro, Baki, I think it's wise to take Gaara and lay low for a little while." The sand Jonin picked Gaara up, nodded, and then vanished in a swirl of sand. The other two Suna-nin followed.

"Looks like it's Akimichi Choji and Toppyoushimonai Satsu are our last combatants," Chuuko said quietly. Both boys didn't move; they stared at the spot where Lee's dead body lied previously. "Choji…Satsu…you guys have to fight or forfeit," Chuuko softly said. The two boys snapped out of their trance and walked to Chuuko. The man signaled for the match to begin and moved out of the way.

Satsu placed his hands on his temples and a blue symbol, similar to an eye (A/N: think like the Millenium Eye from _Yu-gi-oh!_) appeared on his forehead. Choji took advantage of the blonde's lack of movement and tried to punch him. Satsu dropped to his knees and rapidly punched Choji in his stomach. The large boy didn't even budge from the blows and swatted at Satsu, who rolled out of the way.

"Ha! My big bones prevent me from feeling punches from little guys like you!" Choji declared as he patted his belly.

'_Big bones? I could've sworn I was punching fat,_' Satsu thought as Choji made a hand seal.

"Ninpou: Baika no Jutsu (_Ninja Art: Multi-Size Jutsu_)!" Choji shouted as he swelled up into the shape of a balloon.

Satsu looked at Choji incredulously. '_This is a jutsu [__**4**__]?!_'

"Nikudan Sensha (_Human Bullet Tank_)!" Choji shouted as his body began to rotate like a gyroscope. He flung himself at Satsu, hoping to run him over. Just as he was about to hit the blonde, his body slowly rose into the air. Satsu lifted him in the air with his mind! The boy was clutching his temples as the symbol on his forehead turned green.

Haku shouted, "C'mon already! Toss him so we can get outta here!"

Satsu snottily shot back, "You see how heavy he is?! This is way beyond my normal limit!" His nose began to bleed and Satsu leapt out of the way as he dropped the spinning ball of death. Satsu was forced onto the defensive as he leapt out of Choji's way continually.

Choji finally stopped spinning as he had made himself dizzy. '_Now's my chance!_' Satsu thought as he made hand seals. "Howaitonoizu no Jutsu (_White Noise Technique_)[_**5**_]!" Choji gripped his head in pain as a loud, static-like noise filled his ears. He dropped to his knees as his jutsu deactivated. Choji closed his eyes and the noise died down.

"Winner! Toppyoushimonai Satsu of Konohagakure no Sato!" Chuuko said. "Now that we have our winners, it's time to explain the third exam…actually maybe this should wait until a later date when all our champions are conscious and………stable."

"Actually, I'll explain," Minato said as he materialized out of thin air. "I'll send a messenger frog to Baki to explain the third exam to his kids. The rest of you can tell your teammates when they wake up.

"First, there are nine winners: Uchiha Sasuke, Kankuro, Momoichi Haku, Temari, Namikaze Naruto, Hyuuga Hinata, Gaara, Nara Shikamaru, and Toppyoushimonai Satsu.

"As my colleague here stated so eloquently before, you will be fighting in front of some of the most influential ninja and politicians in the world. Because of this, the third exam will take place next month, on the first day of August."

"Wait, why so long?" asked Sasuke.

"Think of it as an opportunity to recoup and to get stronger. After all, your enemies saw how you fight; they'll be ready for you. At least with a month away, you can learn new techniques and keep them on their toes.

"Also, it takes time preparing for a tournament of this size. But use the following month to calculate all the data you've gained from these last few days and use it to your advantage. Now go get started while I figure out how I'm going to tell the council the oldest building in the village was decimated by two Genin…

"Anyway, the way the third exam works is like this: you guys will fight like in a tournament until only one is left. But here's the catch; even if you win the whole tournament, you may still be a Genin.

"What do you mean?" shouted Satsu.

"The point of the third exam is to see how good your tactical skills are. If the committee appointed by your villages decides that you don't possess enough brainpower to become a captain, you'll be a Genin until the next time you get to take the exam. All of you could become Chuunin, or you all could remain Genin.

"Now I will pick the match assignments seeing as how most of our champions are unconscious." Minato reached into a steel box Anko was holding and pulled out two slips of paper.

"Match 1 will be……………Hyuuga Hinata and Namikaze Naruto."

Sasuke's eyes widened and he thought, '_Hmmm…Romeo and Juliet fighting each other…that'll be interesting…knowing those two they won't go easy on each other._'

"Match 2 will be……………Toppyoushimonai Satsu vs. Kankuro."

Satsu smirked and thought, '_He looks like its real empty up in that rock of a head………_'

"Match 3 will be……………………Momoichi Haku vs. Nara Shikamaru."

Shikamaru showed no emotion on his face, but his thoughts were a different story. '_SHIT!!! HAKU BEAT SAKURA IN 3 MINUTES AND SHE WASN'T EVEN TRYING!!! I'M SCREWED!!!_'

Haku smiled and thought, '_I hear Nara is a genius…I hope he challenges me because I'm getting a little bored with these little kids._'

Match 4 will be…………………Uchiha Sasuke and Gaara."

Sasuke's eyes widened and he thought, '_Oh Shit._'

"And Temari will get a pass since she is the last name in the box. We will meet in the Konoha Arena at 9:00 a.m. on August 1. Their will only be an extension if your sensei or whoever you are training with sends me a personal message requesting more time to which only an hour will be granted.

"Train hard and Kami be with you," Minato said.

* * *

Kabuto lay sprawled out on the ground of the forest, about five kilometers away from the watchtower. He had been sleeping for the last five hours, a luxury he hadn't enjoyed for several days. A pale foot nudged Kabuto until he woke up.

"Wake up Kabuto-ssssan. The preliminary round hassss ended," said Orochimaru as he leaned against a tree. Kabuto groaned and sat up.

"So? I still don't see why we're waiting until the exams are over," Kabuto sleepily replied. "Konohagakure has become too accustomed to peace, especially in a time when other nations are preparing for war."

"Do you think you could go toe to toe with Kakasssshi? Or Obito? Or even Rin?" Orochimaru asked.

Kabuto begrudgingly replied, "No."

"Bessssidessss, we don't have enough forccccesssss to launch an invassssion on Konoha."

Kabuto smirked and said, "I think you're scared, Orochimaru-sama."

Orochimaru chuckled and said, "If I didn't ssssee u assss my sssson, I'd kill you for your inssssolencccce. I'm being practical; we can't hope to wipe thissss village out with only 75,000 ninja. But I have a plan."

Kabuto smirked and said, "You always do."

"The Hidden Villages will wipe each other out, and Otogakure no Sato, the home of a god, will stand supreme!" Orochimaru said as he began laughing maniacally.

* * *

Next Time: It's time for me to find a sensei! Sasuke beat me at Rock, Paper, Scissors so he gets Kakashi and Hinata's dad is training her. But wait, dad wants to talk to me about something. That's a shocker.

_The Sins of My Father! The Sins of His Son?_

* * *

1- Bijuu Seichuu: Nemuri (_Tailed Beast Control: Sleep_): The user must possess an artifact used to control bijuu. By pressing the artifact against a bijuu, the user can manipulate it to do many things. This technique puts the bijuu to sleep, making it easy for the demon lord to be captured or calmed down.

2- You might remember him from the Nami no Kuni Arc…although he was more of a memory than an actual person…

3- New Character Bio (_Izuna_): Izuna is a ninja that once served Konohagakure. Not much is known about him, except that he and his brother defected from Konoha long ago. He appears to be 21, but is actually much older…His name means rice-rope.

4- I thought this when I first saw Choji use the Baika no Jutsu lol.

5- Howaitonoizu no Jutsu (_White Noise Technique_): The user must possess the Gajouomoi to use this move. The user sends a high frequency wave of noise into the mind of their target, knocking them out.


	22. Sins of the Father I

Narutosvixen: Yeah, there will be and the time skip is coming soon.

Shingen Takeda 1521: Well, then this is your chapter! Minato and Naruto will lay it all out on the table. There are lots of flashbacks in this chapter so I know you'll be happy. =) Also in this arc, Hiashi and Minato settle their differences, Hizashi and Hiashi talk, and Neji and Hinata have a truce of sorts. Also, Sasuke and Shikan get into a fight. I think this can be covered in three chapter.

Red-volpe: I left out a part of Shikan's technique: the bijuu's yokai points are sealed. That's why Shukaku couldn't come through. And don't worry about Lee. =)

* * *

_The Sins of My Father! The Sins of His Son?_

* * *

Naruto sat at a long, opulent table in Kyo's palace as he pigged out on the best food ever. He turned to Kyo, who was absentmindedly drinking sake and asked, "Hey Kyo-sensei? Mind if I ask a question?"

"_**Huh? Oh, yeah, sure, what do you want to know?**_" Kyo asked.

"What happened? You know, the day you, uh, died?"

Kyo sighed then downed all of his sake. "_**Do you remember when I told you that demons are not evil? That we bring evil souls to the Shinigami?**_" Naruto nodded.

"_**Well, as you know we are bijuu. There are ten of us, and several demi-bijuu. We each monitor different groups of demons to make sure they do what they were created to do.**_

"_**It was Shukaku, Bake [**__1__**], Kyodai [**__2__**], Hihi [**__3__**], Kujira [**__4__**], Katatsumuri [**_5_**], Sai [**__6__**], Oushi [**__7__**], me, and Uindo [**__9__**]. We didn't always work together but sometimes we would have to. We took down powerful humans or demons that our servants could not.**_

"_**Shukaku decided he was beyond our lord's orders and mobilized his Tanuki and began killing humans for the hell of it. But Shukaku was smart; he stayed in the Western Deserts where he would be infinitely powerful. And as long as he was alive, the Tanuki would blindly follow him.**_

"_**So the other bijuu and I decided it would be wise to go into the desert and kill him ourselves. I had a bone to pick with Shukaku. I wasn't thinking clearly**_"

* * *

"_**Are you sure only three of us can handle Shukaku, Kyo?**__" asked a large man. He was very muscular and his skin was dark brown like wood. His bald head shone in the desert light and his grey eyes seemed to be full of fire. He wore no shirt, armor on his shoulders, and beige pants._

_Kyo sat on top of the head of a giant rhinoceros beetle as it flew through the night air. "__**We are the strongest three bijuu, Oushi-sama. I think we are more than enough to handle that psychopath,**__" Kyo said._

_A young man walked toward the two men. He wore navy blue armor and had long, light green hair and red eyes. "__**Okami Kyo-sama, we are less than a kilometer away from Shukaku's hideout. What's the plan?**__" the young man asked._

"_**We get that bastard up here away from the sand and kill him,**__" said Kyo._

"_**If you ask me, Uindo-san would be a big help. His control of the air and wind could have destabilized that sand,**__" Oushi said._

"_**Sai-kun,**__" Kyo said as he turned to the young man. "__**If I do not make it, I expect you to look after my kingdom.**__"_

_Sai was shocked by what Kyo had said. "__**Y-Y-You want me to be the Okami after you?**__"_

_Before Kyo could answer, a large fist of sand crashed into the beetle's abdomen, causing the three men to fall off and into the desert sand below._

* * *

Naruto sat wide-eyed and opened mouthed as Kyo told him the story. "What happened next?!" he shouted when Kyo stopped talking.

"_**Please Kit,**_" Kyo said. "_**Close your mouth. Spare ribs do not look as appealing chewed up in your mouth.**_"

Naruto quickly swallowed and gestured for the older Kitsune to finish his story. Kyo coughed and said, "_**Well, what do you know? The jutsu has lifted! You should return so you can get some training in seeing as how you already lost a day.**_"

"But how long could it be for you to finish the story?" Naruto asked.

"_**Look, do you want Sasuke to get years ahead of you? Knowing him, he has learned some A-Rank jutsu that he is going to use to beat you and be the hero!**_" Kyo shouted.

Naruto got a mental picture of Sasuke standing on his unconscious body and everyone shouting his name. The young Kitsune growled and shouted, "I'M NOT LETTING SASUKE BEAT ME!!! I GOTTA GO KYO-SAN!!!"

Naruto vanished and Kyo slapped his forehead. "_**I swear Izanagi-sama picked the wrong kid sometimes,**_" he muttered.

* * *

Naruto shot up in his hospital bed and leapt out of the window. He was greeted by the warm breeze of a July afternoon. Naruto sniffed the air for a minute and realized that his squad was meeting at the usual spot. He took off running for their scent.

* * *

"Seeing as how Naruto is asleep at the hospital," began Kakashi as he snapped his perverse book shut, "we will have routine training. Have you guys decided who will train you for the third exam?"

Hinata, who had been stretching, spoke up first. "My dad is going to train me. He said that I should improve my Taijutsu so he's going to help out," she said as she stretched her right leg up past her head. Naruto burst out of the bushes behind Kakashi.

"Hey aniki-san! Can you…" Naruto stopped as he saw Hinata stretching her leg. Blood began to trickle from his nose as he began to think dirty things.

Hinata noticed and stopped stretching. She asked, "Are you ok, Naru-kun?"

"Hehe…what's wrong Naruto? Or should I say chikan (_pervert_)?" Sasuke said.

Naruto jumped on him and began strangling him. "WHY YOU LITTLE!!! I'M NO PERVERT!!! YOU ARE FOR SUGGESTING IT!!!"

Kakashi sighed and thought, '_I kinda liked it when he hated everyone. It was quieter._' He cleared his throat and said, "Naruto-kun, you had something you wanted to say?"

Naruto stopped strangling Sasuke and said, "Oh, yeah! Aniki-san, would you mind training me? I want to get stronger so I can beat certain emos!

Sasuke pushed Naruto off of him and said, "Wait, I was about to ask you the same thing, Kakashi-sensei, except I want to beat blonde dobes!"

Kakashi slapped his forehead and said, "How about this? You two play rock paper scissor, best 2 out of 3, and whoever wins will be trained by me, ok?" Sasuke and Naruto nodded.

They outstretched their fists and began shaking them. "Rock…Paper…Scissors…Shoot!" they shouted. Sasuke opened his hand while Naruto kept his fist closed.

"YES!!!"

"SHIT!!!"

They shook their fist again; this time Sasuke outstretched two fingers and Naruto kept his fist closed.

"BULLSHIT!!!"

"BOOYAH!!!"

They shook their fists one last time; beads of sweat formed on their foreheads. Sasuke kept his fist closed and Naruto outstretched two fingers.

"IN YOUR FACE DOBE!!!"

"FUCK YOU!!! I KILL YOU!!!"

"Well, there you have it," Kakashi said. "I'll train Sasuke-kun and you'll have to find someone else."

Naruto growled and then thought for a moment. "I KNOW SOMEONE WHO'S PERFECT!!!" Naruto vanished as he headed back to the village to find a trainer.

Kakashi sighed and then looked at the pond to his left. A small red frog sat on a lily pad and croaked absentmindedly. '_So Gama-sennin is back,_' he thought.

* * *

"I can't train you, Naruto-kun," Minato said. He reached for a bottle of orange juice from the fridge and began to drink from it.

Naruto growled and said, "Why the hell not?"

"Because I'm the Hokage. It would go against the rules for me to train any of the examiners. Another nation could say I'm favoring you because you're my son," the young Kage replied.

Naruto slapped Minato's orange juice out of his hands and screamed, "Why do you hate me so much? Am I not the perfect son you always wanted? Oh, wait! _**I'm not Kakashi!**_"

Minato stared at Naruto for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, he asked, "Is that what you think? That I hate you?"

"_**No shit, Sherlock!**_" Naruto shouted back. His eyes became slits and were beginning to turn black.

"Naruto, it's not hate; it's shame—"

"_**I should've known! You're ashamed that I'm a demon!**_" Naruto shouted.

Minato reared back and punched Naruto right in his face. "Don't you ever think for a second that I'm ashamed of you! It's not shame for you that I feel; it's shame for me!" he shouted.

Naruto's eyes returned to normal and shock spread across his face. Tears were flowing from Minato's eyes as he murmured, "I wasn't strong enough to save her, Naruto. I wasn't fast enough. That monster took her from us, from you, and I just let him!"

Minato dropped to his knees and began weeping openly. Naruto felt numb; he had an idea where this conversation was going.

He was about to learn about what happened to his mother.

* * *

Hinata was practicing in the courtyard of the Hyuuga compound. She and her cousin Ko were working on her Juken, which by Hyuuga standards, was average. Ko had proven to be a good help while her father met with the council. He was considered to be a master of the Juken, and he was sweet and supportive.

"Awesome Hinata-hime! You're doing pretty well!" Ko said as he dodged another strike.

Hinata panted as she knocked his palm away. "I still can't hit you and you're not trying," she muttered. Suddenly, Ko stopped and Hinata could feel another person's presence. She turned around and Neji was standing behind her.

"What do you…want?" Hinata said in confusion. Neji dropped to his knees and bowed to her.

"Forgiveness, Hinata-chan," he said.

* * *

Hiashi was in his office, reading a book. Little luxuries like that escaped him when Hinode died, so he took any free moment he had to read or paint.

"Stop! You cannot pa—urk!" The thud of a body hitting a wall filled the air. Two more bodies dropped and the door burst into splinters.

Hizashi walked through the door and said, "We need to talk Hiashi."

"Agreed…but you could've picked more…conventional methods to start a conversation," Hiashi said as he viewed the three unconscious guards.

Hizashi merely untied his hitai-ite, revealing a forehead free of the cursed seal.

"You finally did it," murmured Hiashi.

"And now, we can overthrow the elders together brother," Hizashi said.

* * *

Shikan walked out of Ichiraku's, fed and sufficiently intoxicated. He walked down an abandoned street. Well, more like stumbled. The man suddenly drew a kunai and deflected several shuriken, then leapt out of the way of a fireball.

"Now, Sasuke-kun, you know it's illegal to use jutsu in the village unless there's an enemy in the village," Shikan said to the Uchiha avenger.

"All this time I thought Obito-san and I were the only ones left. Why didn't you ever tell us you were an Uchiha?" shouted Sasuke.

"Because I'm not an Uchiha. Well not quite. I'm Senju Shikan," the man said.

* * *

A man in a black cloak with red clouds stood at the window of a large building. He was watching the rain splash against the plexiglass.

"Ah, my lovely little minx," he said. "I've missed you. How was Takigakure no Sato?"

A woman standing in the doorway behind him answered, "Boring. I could've taken her right then and there. She's a 13-year-old Genin."

The woman was quite beautiful. She had long, red hair pulled into a high ponytail, with three strands of hair hanging down her face. Her eyes were a brilliant shade of green, almost like jade.

"I want to get this over with so I can return home," she said.

"The girl isn't ready; none of them are. Well not that we know of anyway. Kisaki and Namikaze are the only two we've found in all this time."

"I want to see my family, you bastard!" she shouted back.

The man made a hand seal, and the woman screamed. Unbelievable pain wracked her body as a seal on her neck burned bright red.

"Remember our deal; your family lives and you work for us. When we get them all, then you go back to them. Understand, bitch?" the man said.

"Go…to…hell!" she spat.

The man made a second hand seal, and the woman screamed bloody murder. "Do you understand?" the man asked again.

The woman choked back tears and shame before replying, "Y…Yes!"

The pain subsided and the man replied, "Good."

* * *

Next Time: My dad always told me my mom died of cancer. I always felt like she didn't. I know this sounds crazy, but I know she's out there somewhere. But as dad tells me this story, I know it's not true. But he's convinced it is. What the hell is going on?

_The Truth? Kushina Uzumaki…Dead?_

* * *

1- New Character Bio (_Jotei Bake_): Bake was the empress of ancient Kaminara no Kuni. Not much is known about her other than the fact that she was a priestess in the northern region of the land. _**Her name is derived from Bakeneko, the mythical cat demon.**_

2- New Character Bio (_Okami Kyodai_): Kyodai was the king of Mizu no Kuni. Nothing is really known about him, except that he was a fair ruler who hardly ever talked. _**His name means gigantic.**_

3- New Character Bio (_Okami Hihi_): Hihi was born into the highest royal family in Tsuchi no Kuni. He was a soldier by trade until his uncle, the Okami, died. Because his uncle had no children, and Hihi was the oldest of his nephews and nieces, Hihi was made the king. _**His name means baboon.**_

4- New Character Bio (_Mikoto Kujira_): Kujira was the son of Hihi. He lived a lavish life style but was deeply religious. Kujira spread religion all over Tsuchi during a time when atheism was prevalent. _**His name means whale.**_

5- New Character Bio (_Katatsumuri_): Katatsumuri was a court jester in the royal houses of Mizu no Kuni. He appeared happy go lucky, but in actuality, he was very depressed. His only family was his mother, who was very sick. _**His name means snail.**_

6- New Character Bio (_Sai_): Sai was a soldier from Taki, a village that was once a part of Hi no Kuni. He was a brave young man who gained favor from Okami Kyo. _**His name means my son.**_

7- New Character Bio (_Oushi_): Oushi was the general of Kaminara no Kuni's forces. He was a loud, boisterous, flamboyant man. _**His name means bull.**_

8- New Character Bio (_Uindo_): Nothing is known about Uindo other than he was revered as the most powerful ninja in existence. _**His name means wind.**_


	23. Sins of the Father II

Shingen Takeda 1521: I have to build things up lol. I try to keep my chapters from being overstuffed with information because then the next chapter tends to suffer. Oh and to answer your question from chapter 21, it was intentional. Sadly, you won't see why until the last chapter of the story. =(

Red-volpe: Really? I was on the fence but my earlier idea seemed too comic. And yea I could've been done with the Chuunin Exams if it wasn't for my damned brother lol.

* * *

_The Truth? Uzumaki Kushina…Dead?_

* * *

"It was six years ago," said Minato. Naruto sat Indian-style on the couch; Minato on a chair. "The Raikage called a meeting between us to create a peace treaty after his attempts to steal the Byakugan. I was only allowed three bodyguards. I took Chuuko and Shikan; Iruka was injured on duty a week earlier and couldn't join us. Your mother was growing bored of being retired. Don't get me wrong; she loved spending time with you. But Kushina-chan was a warrior by nature; she needed to be in the field."

* * *

"_Ugh! You're such a bother!" shouted Kushina as she scarfed down some beef ramen. She had been unsuccessfully trying to convince Minato to take her with him to Yougan no Kuni (_The Land of Lava_) so she could protect him._

"_You've been retired for seven years, Shina-chan," Minato said as he drank from his cup. "I'm just worried you're a little……rusty."_

_Big mistake Minato._

"_I know you didn't just say that! I'm from the Uzu-fucking-maki clan! We were raised to be killers from birth, not housewives!" shouted Kushina. People in Ichiraku's were watching with amusement as the Hokage bowed his head to avoid looking his wife in her eyes. Like they say, hell hath no fury than a woman scorned._

"_I understand."_

"_I could kill 100 ANBU-nin without breaking a sweat!"_

"_I understand."_

"_Shit, I could—ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!?!"_

"_I understa—oops."_

_Kushina growled and said, "Fine. I'm not sleeping with you until I've forgiven you. And you know you can't last a day."_

_Minato broke into a cold sweat and said, "You can go Shina-chan."_

_Kushina smiled and said, "Great! But you have to sleep on the couch tonight."_

"_BUT I LET YOU GO!!!"_

"_THAT'S FOR NOT LISTENING, YOU BASTARD!!!"_

* * *

"Ugh, you could've left that part out dad!" said a disgusted Naruto.

Minato laughed and said, "Please, squirt. I'm sure there's a girl you like like that."

Naruto blushed and replied, "Don't you have a story to finish?"

* * *

_Minato and his bodyguards arrived in the capital city of Yougan a week later. Shikan was amazed; with so many active volcanoes in this country, it was hard to believe anyone could live here. But the citizens of Maguma (_Magma_) lived inside an active volcano!_

"_What's the problem? Scared?" asked Chuuko._

_Shikan growled and said, "I'm not scared! But we're only a few hundred yards above a pool of lava that could shoot up at any moment. Aren't you a little nervous?"_

"_Nope! Minato-sensei can just poof us outta here if that does happen," replied Chuuko._

"_Hey sensei," Shikan said. "Aren't you a little nervous? We're only a few miles away from the Tsuchi border? If they caught wind of this, they might attempt to assassinate you," said Shikan._

"_I can handle them. Remember, most of them are afraid of me," Minato said smugly._

"_You're such a ham," Kushina replied._

_Within minutes, they arrived at the meeting place. Kushina noticed something during the walk there and said, "Hokage-sama! I didn't see any people in the streets! Something doesn't seem right."_

"_Don't worry. Jiraiya's intel says that when there's going to be an eruption soon so people aren't allowed to walk around until the village is secured," Minato replied._

"_But…"_

"_Kushina-san, when have you known Jiraya-sama's intel to be wrong?" Minato said. Two ninja met them at the gate and led them inside of the estate. A large man met them at the front door, flanked by four cloaked guards. He was huge and dark like mohagony. His muscles were as hard as granite, and his blonde hair was pulled into neat braids._

"_Yotsuki-sama, it's been a while," said Minato as he bowed to the man._

"_Please, call me Denki-san. No need to be so formal," said the Raikage._

"_Sure, Denki-san. So when do we get started?" asked Minato._

"_After dinner, my boy!" shouted Denki as he ushered the Konoha-nin into the mansion._

* * *

"I've never heard of Yougan no Kuni," said Naruto.

Minato poured himself some sake, downed the contents of the glass in one gulp, and then said, "It was a small nation that gained its independence from Tsuchi a year after the war. It was reabsorbed into Tsuchi just before you turned 10. Now, let me finish the story."

* * *

_Minato, Shikan, and Chuuko devoured their food as if it was going to be their last meal. Steaks, ribs, lobster, pork; the feast was nothing the like the Konoha men ever experienced. Kushina shook her head in embarrassment._

"_Is this the lovely Uzumaki Kushina?" asked Denki._

"_Yes, I am," said the redhead._

"_Your beauty surpasses any picture I have ever seen," the Raikage replied. Kushina blushed at the man's compliment._

"_Hey boss, correct me if I'm wrong, but is the 'roid monkey hittin' on Lady Kushina?" whispered Chuuko._

_Minato growled and said, "We should get down to business. Neither one of us are exactly welcome so close to Tsuchi."_

"_Aye," Denki said, never taking his eyes of Kushina. "We should get going to the meeting room." The two men stood up and walked out of the room._

* * *

"_So, Denki-san, you want to discuss having peaceful relations with Konoha again? I won't lie by saying I don't miss the resources you provided for us before," said Minato. "But surely, you know the Hyuugas will be upset. You are the reason their leader, Hyuuga Hinode, is dead."_

"_True, but the truth is, I didn't call you here for a reconciliation," Denki said._

_Minato tensed; he had a feeling he was about to fight for his life. "Then why did you summon me here?" said Minato._

"_Because I want…__**revenge!**__" shouted Denki as he swung his massive fist at Minato's head with blindingly surprising speed. Minato barely dodged the blow. The wall was shattered from the impact. Minato watched as the man transformed into an even bigger man. His bald head gleamed in the pale, fluorescent light._

"_Long time no see, Yurasu Berugu [__**1**__]," said Minato. "Wasn't one spanking enough?"_

"_Don't you start! I'll make sure the lava below is your grave!" he shouted as he made hand seals. "Doton: Togiretogire Tsuchi (_Earth Release: Broken Earth_)[__**2**__]!"_

_The plot of land that the city rested on began to crack. It finally gave way after what felt like an eternity and plunged down to the lava below._

_Minato ran out of the room and saw Chuuko stab one of Berugu's men with his chokuto. Shikan set two on fire with his jutsu, and blew another up with a paper bomb. Kushina ripped the spine of another ninja out with her bare hands and shouted, "Told you it was a trap!"_

"_You were right; I was wrong! But we need to get on a large chunk of earth or we'll be deep-fried!" Minato shouted. He activated his Kaiten Me and teleported the ninja out of the house. They landed on the town square, which was large enough to float safely on the lava._

"_So I guess Berugu is dead?" asked Chuuko._

_Suddenly, a massive, metallic hand burst out of the lava and latched onto the edge of the square. Berugu pulled himself out of the lava, covered in metal._

"_You just had to open your damn mouth, Chuuko-kun!" shouted Shikan._

"_Hehe…sorry," the teen chuckled sheepishly._

"_I think I should bring in some friends. San, Hoku, Ku! Come on out!" Berugu shouted. Three figures, all swathed in black cloaks with red clouds and large straw hats that concealed their faces, walked out of the nearby buildings. "I was hoping you would bring the second generation Sanin and maybe a Sarutobi with you," Berugu said as he pounded his chest. "But whatever. A dead Konoha-nin is good, regardless of who it is. But I think I'll keep Kushina-chan for myself!"_

"_Minato!" shouted Kushina. "We need to get out of here! Those friends of his have high chakra! We can't—" Minato charged up a Rasengan and charged Berugu with blinding speed._

_A loud hissing noise caused Kushina to turn toward the four men. The one named Ku had summoned a large, blue snake. The snake reared back, then shot forward toward the redhead-nin. San pulled out a three-bladed scythe and charged Chuuko, who drew his second chokuto and met the missing-nin halfway. Hoku and Shikan both rushed each other and became entangled in a high-speed Taijutsu battle. A fearsome battle was about to begin._

* * *

_Kushina nimbly leapt out of the snake's way as it attempted to chomp on her. She made a hand seal and shouted, "Suiton: Eda no Shimo no Jutsu (_Water Release: Limbs of Frost Technique_)!" The snake stopped moving and the man leapt off._

"_Mmmm, my my, my dear, I alwayssss wanted a piecccce of you," said Ku as he licked his lips._

_Kushina was shocked. '_Is that……Orochimaru?_' she thought. "Ku," or rather Orochimaru, spat out his long tongue, hoping to wrap it around her neck. Kushina grabbed his tongue, released a primal war cry, and yanked him toward her._

_Orochimaru smirked and thought, '_Exactly what I hoped sssshe would do!_' He opened his mouth, releasing a swarm of snakes which bit Kushina all over her body, injecting poison into her system._

"_Thosssse ssssnakessss have releassssed a powerful neurotoxin that will keep your nervoussss ssssysssstem locked up until I adminisssster the antidote," said Orochimaru as he stood over the twitching woman. "Leader-ssssama hassss big planssss for you."_

* * *

_Shikan narrowly dodged a left hook from Hoku and replied with a spinning kick to the head. Hoku blocked the kick with his forearm and punched Shikan in the stomach with his free hand. The teen rolled across the ground and made some hand seals. "Mokuton: Mokuzai Shokushu no Jutsu (_Wood Release: Wood Tentacles Technique_)[__**3**__]!" Eight large, wooden, armlike tentacles sprouted out of his back._

_Hoku, who charged Shikan before the jutsu completed, was smacked away. The same tentacle then bashed him into the earth repeatedly. It grabbed Hoku and flung him into a building._

"_Any last words?" Shikan said with a smirk as he watched Hoku rise out of the rubble._

"_Hmph, yeah squirt," he said as he made three quick hand seals. "Katon: Zukokku no Jutsu (_Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work Technique_)!" He spat out a small, white fireball that flew weakly toward Shikan._

"_Are you serious, dude?" the teenage Chuunin said. The fireball fell to the floor a foot away from Shikan. The ball suddenly erupted into a massive inferno of white flames, consuming Shikan._

* * *

_Chuuko was forced on the defensive as San swung wildly with his scythe. All he could do was parry and block the three blades. '_What's with this guy? He has no type of style with this scythe; it's almost like he doesn't care if he hits a killing blow,_' thought Chuuko. He finally found an opening and kicked San in his chest, knocking the man away._

"_That hurt a little, you motherfucker!" shouted San. He pressed a button on his scythe, and the largest of the blades shot off quickly toward Chuuko. The old looking ninja smacked the blade away with the chokuto in his left hand. Directly behind the first was another blade, which Chuuko blocked with the other chokuto. He failed to see the third blade in time and watched with horror as it plunged into his abdomen._

'What the hell? This thing isn't all that sharp! At that speed, the blade should have gored me! What's this guy's plan?_' thought Chuuko as the blades quickly retreated to the scythe's staff._

"_Mmmm, blood," said San as he wiped the blood off the blade and licked it hungrily._

_Chuuko was disgusted by the man's action. '_Great, I get a hemophiliac! Why do I always get the philiacs and philes?_' thought Chuuko._

_San made a hand seal, and two hexagrams appeared, one under each of the two ninja. The visible parts of San's body turned black and white, like a skeleton costume. "This is the ultimate technique of the Jashin religion, Jujutsu: Shiji Hyoketsu (_Curse Technique: Death Controlling Possessed Blood_)! With it, I can kill you without breaking a sweat!"_

_San removed the largest blade from his scythe and pointed it toward his chest. "W-W-What the hell are you gonna do?" shouted a scared Chuuko._

"_I'm going to kill you by stabbing myself in the heart!" San shouted maniacally._

"_B-B-But you'll die too!" shouted Chuuko._

"_Says who?" laughed San as he prepared to plunge the blade into his heart._

* * *

_Minato increased the size of his Rasengan until it became the size of a melon. He thrust it into Berugu's chest, but was shocked that all he did was dent his metal exoskeleton._

"_Do you honestly think you would beat me the same way twice? I've pushed my Aragane no Yoroi (_Armor of the Ore_)[__**4**__] to the next level! Your Rasengan no longer affects me so long as this armor is active," Berugu said. He smiled devilishly and then slapped the Hokage with all his might._

_Minato released his chakra to soften the impact, but still flew through several buildings from the blow. Berugu leapt into the air and made several hand seals. "Genshibakkudan (_Atom Bomb_)[__**5**__]!"_

_Minato leapt out of the way just in time, and Berugu smashed through the earth into the lava. The chunk of earth the ninja had been battling on began to crack and break off into smaller chunks. Berugu lifted himself out of the lava and trudged toward Minato._

'Damn it! With that steel armor, he's invulnerable! I can't land a blow on him!_' thought Minato as he tried to think of a solution. He suddenly remember one very powerful weapon in his arsenal: the Kaiten Me!_

'_I hope this works!' he thought as he began to focus chakra into his eyes._

* * *

_Hoku laughed as the flames burned intensely. He killed the little brat and was patting himself on the back for a job well done._

'Good riddance,_' thought Hoku as he began to walk away. '_His looks, and his jutsu……he must be a descendent of Senju Hashirama._'_

_Suddenly, two tentacles burst out of the ground and smashed Hoku with tremendous force. "Mokuton: Chuusekiuddo Gachan no Jutsu (_Wood Release: Wooden Pillar Slam Technique_)[__**6**__]!" shouted Shikan as he pulled himself out of the flames._

_Hoku coughed up massive amounts of blood and weakly asked, "How…*cough*…did…*cough*…you…*cough*…survive?"_

_Shikan pointed to his Sharingan and stated proudly, "I saw your attack with my Sharingan long before you completed it. I created a Moku Bunshin underground, who used Mokuton: Shichuka no Jutsu no Jutsu (_Wood Release: Four Pillars House Technique_) to create enough wood to protect me from the flames!"_

'Damn Senju! He crushed two of my fucking hearts!_' thought Hoku as he shakily stood to his feet._

'How can he be alive, much less talking? What is he?_' thought Shikan as he prepared for battle._

_Hoku broke off into a full sprint, stringing together some hands seals. Suddenly, he stopped and began talking to himself. "But sir, I'm about to kill a Sen…yes I understand but…you're the boss, Leader-sama," said Hoku. He turned to Shikan and said, "In due time kid, in due time." He then vanished in a swirl of leaves._

* * *

_San prepared to plunge the blade into his heart, but suddenly began throbbing in pain. "What the fuck is happening?" he shouted._

"_You should really do your homework. My name is Masurao Chuuko. Have you ever heard of my clan?" the old-looking ninja asked._

"_Fuck you, and fuck your clan!" spat San._

"_Well, my clan has the patient zero effect. We're a walking host to some of the deadliest diseases the world has ever known, and I just infected you with Kokushibyou Uirusu (_Black Death Virus_)[__**7**__]. You'll be dead in about six months, but the pain is immediate. You won't be sacrificing me to your god today," Chuuko said calmly as Hidan stepped out of the hexagram, breaking the jutsu._

_Hoku appeared next to San and said, "Leader-sama wants us to skedaddle. Our mission is complete so we have to go." He looked at San, who was writhing on the floor in pain, and said, "Ooooh. You don't look so hot champ." Hoku picked San up and tossed him over his shoulder. He waved to Chuuko and again vanished in a swirl of leaves._

'I really should think about switching professions,_' thought Chuuko with a sigh._

* * *

_Minato focused as much chakra as he could into his eye and shouted, "Geshi (_Solstice_)[__**8**__]!" Berugu stopped running and gasped in amazement as his armor began to rust and weaken._

"_W-W-What are you doing to me?" shouted the mountain of a man._

"_I'm using Geshi to age that metal by a thousand years so I can destroy it. I hoped I could get you too, but your armor is protecting you," said Minato. His eyes were bleeding and his vision was a bit blurred, but he knew he was about to end this battle once and for all. He charged up a large yellow Rasengan and rushed Berugu. "Raiton: Rasengan no Seken (_Lightning Release: Spiraling Sphere of the World_)!"_

_Minato charged Berugu and slammed his jutsu into his stomach. The young Kage watched with glee as the armor ripped to pieces like paper and the jutsu hit Berugu's stomach. The large man was sent flying clear across the earth into the large snake Ku, San, and Hoku were by. Minato materialized over there just as Shikan and Chuuko made it there._

"_Well, damn sensei," said Chuuko as he viewed the damage done by their battles. "Another one for the history books, eh?" he said as he lightly punched Shikan in his shoulder._

_Berugu weakly pulled himself out of the now dead snake's carcass and roared in pain and anger. "Try as I might, I can't squash you, you insignificant bug!" he shouted. "And now we're being called back by fucking Leader-sama!"_

_Minato's eyes widened and he shouted back, "Who are you working for?"_

_Berugu ignored his comments and said, "You're lucky he wants you alive, or I would kill you! But there is something that I can kill." Berugu began smiling like a maniac as he walked to the snake's mouth and pulled out a very beat up Kushina._

_Minato became enraged and screamed, "Leave her out of this Berugu! This battle is between you and me!" He attempted to use his Kaiten Me to get close, but it began to pain him, a side effect of Geshi, he surmised in terror._

"_How much do you love her, Yondaime?" giggled Berugu as he picked her up by her head. Minato broke off into a full sprint, hoping to get to Kushina before Berugu could harm her. "Hmph, obviously not enough!" he shouted as he squeezed her head with all his might. Blood sprayed everywhere, especially over Minato. All he could do was sink to his knees and watch helplessly as Berugu dropped her body and the four missing-nin escaped._

* * *

"And we buried your mother a week later. I've been hunting Berugu ever since, and I still haven't found him. I know you must hate me now; well more so than normal," said Minato as he downed another glass of sake.

"So all these years, your shame kept us from being close?" said Naruto slowly. Minato pathetically nodded. "Dad, as much as I wish mom were here now, I don't blame you for her death."

"Y-Y-You don't?" asked Minato hopefully.

"No," said Naruto slowly. "Because she's still out there."

"What the hell are you talking about?" shouted Minato.

"I might be wrong because it's been so long," said Naruto, "But mom smells like pineapple, right?"

"Yeah, she used to grow pineapples in the garden and make shampoo and soap from them like her grandmother used to back in Uzumaki no Kuni," replied Minato.

"I can smell her," said Naruto. "Everywhere I go. On every mission, in every building, even right now, I smell her."

"Kid, be realistic," said Minato. "I saw Berugu crush her skull. And even if she survived by some fluke, why hasn't she come back to us? Oh, and pineapples grow all over Hi no Kuni."

"It smells different. It has the scent of flesh and blood with it. And I'm just 13; I can't answer that," said Naruto. "But I will find her dad. I promise."

"Are we, you know, ok?" asked Minato sheepishly.

"No," said Naruto. Minato held his head down, missing Naruto's smile. "But I think we're on the right path."

Minato smiled and snatched Naruto up in a hug. "You're pretty wise, kid," Minato laughed.

Naruto smiled and said, "Don't get all congratulatory; I stole that from a movie."

"I love you, Naruto," said Minato.

"I love you too, dad," said Naruto.

"Aww, this is so sweet." Minato and Naruto turned and looked at an old man with long, spiky, white hair and brown eyes. He wore a hitai-ite with the kanji for oil on it, a grey kimono, and a red vest over it. A large scroll was strapped to his lower back.

Naruto leapt out of Minato's arms and hugged the old man. "Uncle Jiraiya [_**9**_]! When did you get back?"

Jiraiya ruffled Naruto's hair and said, "Just got back in tonight. It feels good to be home with family. I hear you and your squad kicked some major ass."

Minato suddenly had an evil idea and began smirking. "Naruto," he said sweetly. "Meet your new trainer."

Jiraiya paled and shouted, "MY FAVORITE NEPHEW DECIDES TO PUNISH ME SO?!?! WHAT DID I EVER DO TO DESERVE THIS?!?!"

"HOW ABOUT WHEN YOU HID YOURSELF IN MY SHOWER TO SEE SHINA-CHAN NAKED?!?!" Minato shot back. "YOU SKIPPED TOWN BEFORE I COULD GET MY REVENGE!!!"

"……Good point," said Jiraiya sheepishly.

"WAIT A MINUTE!!! YOU THINK I'M A PUNISHMENT?!?! I'LL SHOW YOU PUNISHMENT!!!" Minato laughed as Naruto leapt on Jiraiya and began punching him.

* * *

The red-haired woman smiled as she watched Naruto, Minato, and Jiraiya laugh and have fun. Naruto believed she was still alive; if anyone was going to save her, Kushina knew it would be him.

_Your time is up, Kushina-chan._

"Leader-sama, you said that in exchange for my cooperation, you would make sure my family stayed safe, one day a month to see them, and one request you would grant. I'd like to use my request."

_What do you desire?_

"Daichi-san's son died the other day" said Kushina. "Bring him back."

_Impossible._

"But you're personal friends with the Shinigami; you can get it done."

*Silence*

"Then I will commit seppuku. And you lose the one advantage you had in your senseless war."

_I will see what I can do. No promises, though._

"If you can't do it, then you lose me." Kushina placed her kasa on her head and vanished into the night.

* * *

Next Time: Hinata and Neji are friends now, the Hyuugas are in the middle of a clan war, and Sasuke's...happy?!?! I think the worlds about to end!!!

_Family Fueds! Family Loves!  
_

* * *

1- New Character Bio (Yurasu Berugu): Berugu was a famous ninja from Iwagakure no Sato who became famous after he successfully conquered Namigakure no Sato in the Second Great Ninja War. He stood at a shocking eight feet and weighed 500lbs of pure muscle. Berugu was feared by even the most powerful of ninja. He defected from Iwagakure after the Third Great Ninja War, when the Nidaime Tsuchikage refused to allow him to attack Namikaze Minato, the only ninja to defeat him in battle. **His name means shaking mountain (Yurasu=shaking; Berugu=mountain).**

2- Doton: Togiretogire Tsuchi (Earth Release: Broken Earth): The user releases their chakra along a surface and collapses the ground. This jutsu is great for collapsing buildings or platforms suspended in the air.

3- Mokuton: Mokuzai Shokushu no Jutsu (Wood Release: Wood Tentacles Technique): The user creates wooden tentacles which sprout from their back. The tentacles are perfect for blocking most jutsu and Taijutsu. They can also be used as an offensive weapon.

4- Aragane no Yoroi (Armor of the Ore): A kekkei genkei that allows the user to cover their body in armor comprised of rocks. Skilled users of the Aragane no Yoroi can even make metal instead of rock. The main weakness of the armor is that attacks that attack on a cellular level, like Juken or a Rasengan, will bypass the armor. The steel armor seems to negate this weakness. Only members of the Yurasu clan can use this jutsu.

5- Genshibakkudan (Atom Bomb): An "attack" created by Yurasu Berugu. The user jumps high into the air, and then lands on their opponent. Despite how simple it sounds, if you add Berugu's weight and couple it with the weight of his steel armor, death is almost completely assured for anyone unlucky enough to escape his wrath.

6- Mokuton: Chuusekiuddo Gachan no Jutsu (Wood Release: Wooden Pillar Slam Technique): The user creates two pillars of wood and smashes them into their target. Spikes can be added to assure death.

7- Kokushibyou Uirusu (Black Death Virus): The deadliest virus in the Masurao Clan's arsenal. This virus kills in the span of six months, but instantly deteriorates the opponent's body. The virus has no known cure; you either survive or you don't. There is a 99.99% chance of death, as stated by Chuuko. The virus gained its name because its most identifiable symptom is necrosis, which turns the body black.

8- Geshi (Solstice): The ultimate technique of the Namikaze Clan created by Namikaze Naiya. The user focuses as much chakra into their Kaiten Me. They then focus that chakra at a specific point, and they can literally age whatever is in that area by 1000 years.

9- In case you didn't catch it before, Jiraiya is the mysterious "Uncle" that Minato and Naruto keep referencing.

* * *

Sadly, school is back in. That means the updates will probably be once a week as opposed to every couple of days like it was in the summer when I wasn't grounded or my shitty laptop didn't crash.


	24. Sins of the Father III

* * *

Shingen Takeda 1521: Lol but of course. He certainly wasn't thinking of Sakura.

Red-volpe: It truly does. My Pre-Calculus teacher hates everyone and goes out of his way to make me miserable.

BYoshi1993: With some…enhancements.

And thanks to Simma for that awesome review! People like you make me warmy and fuzzy inside!

* * *

_Family Feuds! Family Loves!_

* * *

To say that Hinata was floored was the understatement of the century. Hyuuga Neji (genius, asshole, and all around hateful bastard) just apologized to her. She bit her tongue with slight force, expecting no pain at all. After all, she was dreaming, right?

Wrong.

"W-W-What?" she stammered.

Neji turned to Ko and said, "Can we have some privacy, Ko-san?" The older ninja nodded and walked away.

"Ever since I could remember, I've always hated you," Neji said. "I hated that you were born into the lap of luxury, how you seemed so talentless, but was still better than me. And I took it out on you. I wanted you to feel as worthless as I felt."

Hinata was trembling; she was unsure as to why. Maybe shock that Neji was laying everything out before her. "Neji-san, it's ok. You don't have to continue," she whispered.

"No!" shouted Neji. Hinata flinched in fear, and Neji, realizing he'd scared her, waited a moment before continuing.

"Do you remember the first time I…I bullied you?" Neji said weakly. His head was bowed, not out of respect, but in fear that Hinata could see the guilt and shame that wreaked havoc upon his countenance.

* * *

_Three-year old Hinata sat in the Hyuuga garden with her mother Hinode. Hinode had long, dark blue, almost purple hair, and the usual Hyuuga eyes. Her voice was so melodic that the bird seemed to sing in tune with it. She wore a beautiful dark purple kimono with shimmering dots on it that seemed to represent the cosmos._

"_And that, Hina-chan, is a Hihana (_Flower of the Sun_). Legend has it, many years ago, our clan were a group of healers who used Hihana to heal sick people. To this day, our clan still uses Hihana to make medicines that can heal any ailment," Hinode said._

_The beautiful woman laughed as Hinata tried to grab a butterfly that landed on her nose with little success. She suddenly felt a presence behind her and said, "Hi sweetheart."_

_Hiashi stood beside her, garbed in his Jonin Commander outfit. "Hi dear," he said as he swept up the beautiful women into a passionate kiss._

_Hinode had been married to Hiashi for the last fourteen years, but whenever he kissed her so, she always blushed and stuttered like a shy schoolgirl [__**1**__]. "I-I-I guess the mission was successful," the woman said as her face turned red._

"_Ewwwww," said Hinata as she watched her affectionate parents. "You two are kissing! Yuck! I'll never do that 'cause boys are yucky [__**2**__]!"_

_The two Hyuuga adults laughed as Hinata spat on the ground to make her point. Hiashi became serious and said, "Hinode, my love, the elders wish to meet with you. I take it that you're still trying to find a cure for Hizashi?"_

_Hinode nodded and said, "I think that I'm close. The problem is that the seals I plan to use take a long time to master. I'm guessing they want me to cease and desist?"_

_Hiashi merely nodded. Hinode rubbed her forehead in annoyance and said, "We should go." Before she left, Hinode plucked one of the Hihana from its stem and placed it in Hinata's hair. She kissed the girl, who watched her parents vanish in a swirl of flower petals._

_Hinata looked around for the butterfly that had been fluttering around the flowers. She spotted it and began to chase it all over the Hyuuga compound. A small hand shot out and grabbed the butterfly. Hinata stopped running and saw her cousin Neji holding the butterfly she was trying to catch._

"_Hi Neji-kun! You caught it for me! Arigato!" Hinata said cheerfully._

_Neji scoffed and said, "Who said I caught it for you?"_

_Hinata became incensed and shouted, "He's mine! Give it back!"_

"_You think you should own everything!" Neji shouted back. He squeezed his hand, and then opened it, allowing Hinata to see the crushed butterfly in his hand._

"_W-W-Why would you do that?" stammered Hinata as tears welled up in her eyes._

"_Because death is better than being a servant to you," Neji said as he walked away laughing._

* * *

"Of course I remember," said Hinata as she rubbed her forehead.

"What I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry," Neji said. "I want to be…I mean I, uh,…I want us to be close, like a family should be."

"I've always wanted that," said Hinata.

Neji, in the greatest out of character moment, laughed and said, "I wish we could convince the elders to be like that."

"I do too," said Hinata.

Neji became serious and said, "Hey Hinata-chan, do you want to learn a powerful technique for the third exam?"

Hinata thought for a moment and said, "Depends. What is it?"

Neji whispered into Hinata's ear the name of the technique. Hinata's face brightened considerably and she shouted, "Definitely!"

* * *

Remember when I said that Hinata's shock was the understatement of the century? Well, Hiashi's shock at seeing that Hizashi no longer possessed the Hyuuga Clan Fuuinjutsu was the understatement of the millennium.

"H-H-How?" shouted Hiashi.

"Hinode-sama," started Hizashi. "She never completed the seal before her death. Before she gave birth to Hanabi-sama, she gave it to me and entrusted me to finish where she started.

* * *

_A very pregnant Hinode was sitting on her bed, reading from a scroll. A knock was heard from the door, and Hinode shouted for whoever was there to come in. Hizashi walked in with a tray of food and scrolls tucked under his arm._

"_Milady," began Hizashi. "You are nine months pregnant; your baby could come at any moment. And you sit here and continue working on whatever jutsu it is you are working on."_

"_I'm the size of a whale, I eat the craziest shit, I can't do any missions, the elders forced me to take maternity leave as the head of the clan, and I've watched every stupid television show and movie over the last three months. I need to feel useful," Hinode replied. "And cut the respectful tones bull. You know that you don't have to speak to me or my family like that."_

_Hizashi breathed a sigh of relief and shouted, "Thank God! You know I love you right?"_

_Hinode laughed at the quick change and said, "I love you, too. How is Neji doing?"_

_Hizashi sighed as he sat on the bed and helped himself to a rice ball. "I worry about him. He either stays locked in his room or out training. I think he trains harder than I do. He's always scowling and hardly ever talks. If this is what he's like at seven, I can hardly wait for the teenage years," the man said with a full mouth._

_Hinode laughed again and said, "You're such a slob! I always thought that Neji wasn't satisfied with just being a servant for the rest of his life. He's like a caged eagle; he needs to spread his wings out to feel a."_

"_Do you blame him though?" asked Hizashi. "The elders purposely waited until he was three to brand him with the curse. He still has nightmares about that." The Hyuuga man turned away and continued, "It's my fault. I was too much of a rebel growing up. They did that on purpose to teach me a lesson."_

_Hinode shook her head and replied, with a mouth full of calamari, "My great-grandfather began that barbaric ritual. It's his fault, and every one of his children after who continued it."_

_The tension was so thick in the room that you'd need an ax to slice through it. "Now who's a slob?" asked Hizashi as he changed the subject._

_Hinode swallowed the food and giggled, "Gomen. I should be more ladylike, but being a girly girl is too much stress!"_

"_I expect nothing less from the woman who beat Akimichi Chouza in a pie-eating contest back in the academy," said Hizashi._

"_You know that I trust you and your knucklehead brother more than anyone in the world, right?" Hinode said as she set down the scroll._

_Hizashi nodded. "Then this must never leave the room. I told the elders I've been trying to find a seal that would allow us to summon another Hyuuga in case of a crisis. The truth is that I'm working on a way to remove the curse and prevent it from being placed on another branch house member," said Hinode quietly._

_The Hyuuga servant's eyes widened and he replied, "You've played some pretty twisted pranks on me in my lifetime, but this has to be the cruelest."_

"_I wouldn't joke around about this," said Hinode as she finished off the last of the food. "I think it'll work." She reached for her teacup and raised it to her lips. The handle of the cup snapped off, causing the tea to spill all over the food tray._

_Hizashi jumped up and said, "Geez, Hinode! You should watch your strength!"_

_Hinode seemed far away and distant. "If I die, I keep all the scrolls with the jutsu's information in a secret compartment underneath the phoenix statue in the common hall. I'm trusting you to finish it," she said quietly._

_Hizashi laughed and said, "Please! You're too stubborn to die!" But inside, Hizashi was afraid that the love of his life was going to die soon._

* * *

"How long was this before……well, Hanabi-chan's birthday?" inquired Hiashi.

"The day before," Hizashi said quietly.

"How did you complete the jutsu? I know your good with Fuuinjutsu, but Hinode was almost as good as Yondaime-sama and Jiraiya-sama," said Hiashi.

"I had help," said Hizashi.

* * *

_Minato sat at his desk in the Hokage Tower, absentmindedly staring out of the window. When Minato became a Genin, he was placed on a squad with Hinode. The two shared a deep friendship and were thick as thieves. He was saddened by her death; the whole village was._

"_Uh, Minato-sensei," said Shikan over the intercom. Minato smiled to himself; the boy finally figured out how the intercom worked after working in the Tower for nearly two months. "A Hyuuga Hizashi is here to see you. He says it's urgent."_

"_Let him in," replied Minato. Hizashi walked into the room, carrying scrolls under his arm. "I'm guessing that whatever this is about is pretty important seeing as how you didn't tell me at the funeral an hour ago."_

"_I wasn't sure if I should bother you with this. I mean, first Kushina and now Hinode, I know you've had a rough month," replied Hizashi._

"_So what's so important?" asked Minato, hoping to change the subject. Hizashi explained everything Hinode had told him and everything he had read in the scrolls._

_Minato rubbed his head and said, "That's one hell of an idea. Hinode was always a little insane."_

"_Give it to me straight, Minato-san," Hizashi said. "Can it be done?"_

"_Only time will tell," said Minato._

* * *

"To make a long story short, we finally perfected the seal after seven years. And now I am free," Hizashi gleefully said.

"Are any of the other branch members free?" asked Hiashi.

"Not yet, but by the end of the month we all will be," replied a jubilant Hizashi.

"Now we can finally do what we've talked about for decades," said Hiashi.

"You don't mean…"

"Yes. Now, we can finally overthrow the elders, and lead our clan together, the way it was meant to be led," replied Hiashi.

* * *

"What do you mean you're not an Uchiha?" shouted Sasuke. "I saw with my own eyes. You have the Sharingan!" Sasuke didn't give Shikan a chance to answer before charging Shikan. The officer prepared to counter the sloppy offense, but was shocked when Sasuke leapt to the side. Several large fireballs crashed into Shikan's body.

"Impressive use of your Sharingan. You used that little Genjutsu to leave me confused so that you could attack unnoticed," Shikan said as he held Sasuke's wrist. "But my Sharingan is stronger!"

The tomoe in Shikan's eye began to spin rapidly and merge with the black dot in the center of his eye. The dot increased in size and three triangles stuck out of them.

"Magen: Shoukyoku Konmei (_Demonic Illusion: Negative Confusion_)[_**3**_]!" Shikan shouted.

Everything became blurry for Sasuke as he lost his coordination. Duplicates of Shikan began to materialize, and the world began to distort.

"Your Sharingan is weak compared to mine," said Shikan. The sound of chirping birds filled the air, distracting the officer and forcing him to release his jutsu. He quickly summoned a pillar of wood from the ground to block the Raikiri that would have cut him in half.

"You knew I'd do that, didn't you Kakashi-san?" said Shikan as Kakashi yanked his hand out of the wooden pillar.

"I was hoping you weren't so drunk you couldn't feel me coming. Picking on Genin? That doesn't sound like you," said Kakashi as he removed splinters from his hand.

"When were you going to tell us you had the Sharingan?" Everyone turned and saw Obito leaning against a lamppost, his own Sharingan active.

"I don't want these eyes," Shikan drunkenly replied.

"Really?" said Obito. "It's a blessing you've been given and you sure have manifested it."

"You mean I have a curse!" Shikan shouted back. "Maybe if you knew how I got these eyes, you would understand why I never told anyone about it!"

* * *

_A pretty young girl walked through the village. She had long blonde hair and big amber eyes. She was wearing a mid-thigh length white skirt on, and a beige turtleneck. She saw another woman walking through the village who looked like a more curvaceous version of herself._

"_Sister!" the girl shouted as she ran to her mother. "When did you get back in the village?"_

"_Just now, Moroi [__**4**__]," said the older woman._

"_Hey, Tsundae-chan," asked Moroi nervously._

_Tsunade picked up on this apprehension and said, "Out with it, woman! I want to go soak in the hot springs."_

"_My friends from nursing school are throwing a graduation party and I was wondering if I could go to it?"_

_Tsunade thought about it and said, "Well, you're only sixteen. Most of those girls are a lot older than you are."_

_Moroi groaned in annoyance and replied, "I've always hung out with older kids! You know I don't have any teenager friends!"_

"_Hmmm………ok," said Tsunade._

"_Oh yeah, well I hope—wait what?"_

"_You can go, but there are a few conditions," said Tsunade. "1) No drinking. 2) No drugs. 3) Be home by 12:30."_

_Moroi squealed and hugged her sister, "Thank you! You're the best sister in the world!"_

"_Yeah, yeah," said Tsunade. "Now get lost before I change my mind!" Moroi didn't hesitate to run home to get ready for the party._

"_Moroi sure has grown up since I last saw her," said Jiraiya, who had been sitting on a lamp post behind Tsunade. Orochimaru leaned against said lamppost with his eyes closed._

"_Judging by her body, I'd say she's about five feet, three inches tall, 100lbs, her measurements are 36C-26-35, and she walks like a virgin," said Jiraiya._

"_You're very skilled," said Orochimaru [__**5**__]._

"_AT BEING A PERVERT!!!" shouted Tsunade. "SHE'S ONLY SIXTEEN!!!"_

"_The younger the better," said Jiraiya, knowing that would enrage Tsunade. The blonde began chasing the pervert all over the village._

'_The things I'd do to see those breasts bounce!' thought Jiraiya lecherously as he leapt out of the way of a super powerful right hook._

* * *

_Moroi stumbled out of her friend's house sufficiently drunk. She had the time of her life; she danced, drunk, and was hit on by the cutest guy ever, a man named Goukan [__**6**__]. Moroi stumbled toward her home, praying Tsunade was in her own inebriated state so she wouldn't notice her own drunkenness._

"_Oi! Sexy!"_

_Moroi turned and saw a handsome man with long, black hair, and black eyes. He was wearing a cream-colored silk shirt, black slacks, and expensive black loafers. Moroi instantly began to blush; it was her suitor of the night Goukan._

"_H-H-Hi Goukan-san," said Moroi as she began blushing as the handsome man got close to her._

"_Where are you headed to, sexy?" Goukan said, his voice a smooth baritone. "Wandering around the village this late at night isn't safe for a pretty girl like you."_

"_I-I-I was actually headed home," Moroi said as she nervously brushed a strand of hair from her face._

"_Well, you should let me walk you home," Goukan said as he wrapped his arm around the girl's shoulders. "I want to make sure you stay safe."_

* * *

_Moroi walked quietly through the door and pushed it behind her gently. She began tiptoeing to her room, hoping Tsunade was knocked out._

_Of course, she wasn't so lucky._

"_Where the hell have you been?" asked Tsunade as she flipped the lights on in the large living room._

"_Out," Moroi defiantly replied._

"_So you think you can stay out until three in the morning and tell me you've just been 'out'?" Tsunade shouted back._

"_I wasn't by myself. This guy I met at the party—"_

"_You were with a guy all this time?" shouted Tsunade._

"_Don't get high and mighty with me, Tsunade!" Moroi shouted back. "I hear you and Dan at night!"_

"_The difference is that I'm an adult; you're just a child who thinks she's grown!" Moroi simply groaned and stalked off to her room. Tsunade rubbed her temples and sat down on the couch._

'I need a drink,_' she thought as she stretched out before heading to her room._

* * *

_A few weeks had gone by, and Moroi and Goukan became extremely close. They went places together, talked whenever he wasn't on a mission, and made out whenever possible. Moroi felt like one of those fairy tale princesses. And Goukan was her knight in shining armor._

_Of course, Tsunade was there to tell her she was rushing into the relationship, but what did she know? Frigid old Tsunade had been dating Dan for a year now, and she still hasn't told him she loves him._

_Moroi sat on her bed, thinking of how great life had become. She thought that after her parents died a few years ago, she would never find a love as strong as she had for her parents._

_A knock on her window interrupted Moroi's thoughts. She looked up and saw Goukan standing on the windowsill. He was garbed in his Chuunin uniform. _

"_Penny for your thoughts?" asked the suave man as he entered the room. He made several hand seals and a bouquet of roses materialized in front of him. Goukan handed them to Moroi, who blushed as she accepted them._

"_I was thinking of you, baby," Moroi replied. She walked over to a vase and placed the roses in it. Goukan walked over to the young blonde and began to kiss her neck. Moroi moaned as Goukan slid his hand up her shirt. She grabbed his wrist and pulled it back. "Don't you think your rushing this a little, Goukan?"_

_Goukan backed away and pouted. "I thought you loved me?" he asked sadly._

"_I do but I'm not ready for sex," Moroi shyly said._

"_If you really love me," Goukan said as he unbuttoned the girl's shirt, exposing her bra-clad chest. "You'll have sex with me. Show me how much you love me."_

_Moroi instantly felt like something wasn't right. "Goukan, get away from me."_

"_I see. You don't want to do anything with me because you don't love me! Who's the other guy?" he roared. In that instant, her knight became a hideous dragon._

"_There is no other guy!" Moroi shouted._

"_How could you do this to me, you stupid bitch?" Goukan screamed. His eyes began to change colors; from black to a sinister red. Three tomoe appeared in his eyes and began to swirl. Moroi's body suddenly began acting on its own. She slipped off her shirt, then her bra, and finally her skirt and underwear._

"_Y-Y-You're an Uchiha," Moroi whispered softly._

"_I thought my dad was wrong about you," shouted Goukan as he made Moroi lay on the bed. He stripped off his own clothes and shouted, "He always told me the Senju clan was a bunch of bastards and bitches! And I stood up for your slutty ass!" A dark glint appeared in Goukan's Sharingan. "But if you want to be a slut, then I'll treat you like one!"_

_Goukan made Moroi spread her legs and he got on top of her. Her screams filled the air._

* * *

_Tsunade had arrived home from the market. Her squad was being called back out on another mission, and she wanted Moroi to have a home cooked meal before she left. Due to Tsunade's ninja training, she could feel that something wasn't right. She could hear a thumping sound coming from Moroi's room._

'I know that girl isn't up there doing what I think she's doing!_' thought an irate Tsunade. She forced the door open and was met by a horrible site. A naked man was thrusting into her little sister. When Goukan looked at Tsunade, she realized what was happening. The Sharingan, and the fresh tears that decorated her sister's face said it all. Tsunade cocked her fist back and unleashed the strongest punch she could muster._

* * *

"I'll spare you the rest of the details," shouted Shikan. "Mom became pregnant with that bastard's child, and gave birth to me! He's rotting in jail, and my mother could stand to look at me so she killed herself!"

Obito walked toward Shikan and hugged the now sobbing man. "Regardless of how you got the Sharingan, you're still family. We will always be by your side," Obito said softly.

Shikan shoved Obito away and said, "You Uchiha are no family of mine!" He vanished into the night and Obito stared at the spot he had been standing on.

'_Good-bye…brother._'

* * *

Next Time: Alright, my training is about to begin! Uncle Jiraiya is going to teach me how to summon! But before we can begin, Kyo wants me to sign something…………wonder why Uncle Jiraiya doesn't want me to?

_The Sealed Deal! Summoning…!_

* * *

1- Guess we know where Hina-chan gets it from lol.

2- These were the B.N. days. Before Naruto lol.

3- Magen: Shoukyoku Konmei (_Demonic Illusion: Negative Confusion_): The user uses their Sharingan to greatly confuse their opponent. The stronger the Sharingan, the higher the confusion.

4- New Character Bio (_Senju Moroi_): Moroi is the mother of Shikan and the sister of Tsunade. She gave birth to Shikan after being raped by three Uchiha. Moroi committed suicide after giving birth to Shikan, unable to cope with the shame of what happened to her. **Her name means a thousand fragile hands. (Senju = a thousand hands; Moroi = fragile)**

5- This was before Orochimaru defected, about ten years prior, so I took the hissing away for this scene. He hasn't completely lost it yet.

6-mNew Character Bio (_Uchiha Goukan_): A Chuunin from the Uchiha Clan. He was arrested and sent to prison for raping Senju Moroi. **His name means rape.**


	25. Chuunin Exams XIII

* * *

Shingen Takeda 1521: I based the growth of Hinata and Naruto's relationship on my own personal relationship with my girlfriend. We started off in denial like they did.

As far as Shikan goes, he's going to play a tremendous role after the timeskip. I'm just setting everything in motion now.

And I'm really glad you feel that way. I've pretty much been working on this story for the last three years; I'm glad people like it.

Red-volpe: I love me some Hyuugas (they're way better than the Uchiha!) and I always thought that Hiashi would be a lot nicer if Hizashi was there to keep him sane. Neji and Hinata should be close too.

Oh and that was the perfect analogy!!!! I'm pretty sure I'm gonna fail that damn class……………

* * *

_The Sealed Deal! Summoning…!_

* * *

Jiraiya stared at the seal on Nartuo's stomach in amazement. "So lemme make sure I understand correctly. Orochimaru sealed up your yokai?" he asked.

"Yep," replied Nauto as he stared at the ceiling.

"And you broke the seal?"

"Yep."

"Without Kyo-sama's help?"

"Yep."

Jiraiya rubbed his chin for a brief moment, before slapping Naruto upside his head. "YOU IS A LIE!!!" he shouted.

"I IS NO LIE!!!" Naruto shot back [**1**].

"You two are role models to all the little kids who want to be book writers when they grow up," Minato said as he materialized into the room. "Hey Uncle, do you think you can remove the rest of the seal?" Minato said as he removed his robe.

"Done," said Jiraiya as he removed his glowing hand from Naruto's now bare stomach. "Naruto's yokai has been constantly removing the seal. All I did was add extra energy to speed up the process.

"Now, get some rest Naruto," Jiraiya said. "Tomorrow, we begin our training."

* * *

Naruto walked through the streets of Konoha, searching for something. Try as he might, he couldn't find it. He did find Kiokure and Chuuko.

"Oy blondie! What's shakin'?" asked Chuuko.

"Nothing much," said Naruto, who was still looking around for whatever he was looking for.

"What're you looking for, Naruto-kun?" asked Kiokure.

"Eh, it's nothing," said Naruto. "How's your training going?"

"Really good. Big bro here is on leave until the exams are over, so he agreed to train me," said the young Masurao.

"Hey, wait a minute!" shouted Naruto. "Chuuko, you're a dirty pervert! Where would you go if you wanted to peep on some naked girls?"

Chuuko's eyes widened in glee as he replied, "Wow! Your balls finally dropped! I've been waiting for Kio-kun's balls to drop for ages! I'm so proud of you!"

Naruto punched the old-looking Jonin in his head and shouted, "THE PERSON I'M LOOKING FOR IS A PERVERT, YOU DUMBASS!!!"

"HEY!!! MY BALLS DROPPED A LONG TIME AGO!!!" shouted Kiokure, who punched Chuuko on the other side of his head.

"Owwww," said Chuuko as he rubbed his two lumps. "Uh, the best place to go to see some naked chicks is the Hot Springs."

"Alright! See you later Kiokure-kun! Thanks you old bat!" shouted Naruto as he ran off toward the Hot Springs.

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU CALLING OLD?!?! I'M 23!!!" shouted Chuuko.

A passerby began to cough. "*cough* Bullshit *cough*!"

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU SAY?!?!"

* * *

Naruto walked across the wooden bridge leading to the Hot Springs, searching for whoever he was searching for.

"Young master!"

Naruto looked up to see Ebisu heading his way. '_Shit!_' thought Naruto as he waited for the pompous tutor to make his way over.

"Young master Namikaze! It has been a very long time since I last saw you," said Ebisu. "Why, now that I think of it, I last saw you in June, when you graduated from the Academy. What brings you all the way out here?"

"I'm, uh, kinda looking for someone," said Naruto nervously. The last thing he wanted was for Ebisu to find out who he was looking for.

"But you're headed toward the female section of the establishment," replied Ebisu. "Surely, you know that us men folk are not allowed beyond this point."

"So why are you coming out of there?" asked Naruto.

Ebisu began to blush and sweat profusely. "I-I-I W-W-WAS N-N-NOT!!!"

"Riiiiiiight," said Naruto.

"YOU MUST BELIEVE ME YOUNG MASTER!!!" replied Ebisu.

"OH, YEAH!!!"

Naruto and Ebisu turned around and saw Jiraiya spying at the naked women in the Hot Spring via a small hole in the wall.

"YOU SCANDALOUS LECHER!!!" shouted Ebisu. "I'LL STOP YOUR PEEPING DAYS ONCE AND FOR ALL!!!" He ran toward the Gama-sennin, who grabbed him by his collar and threw the tutor through the wall and directly onto a naked woman.

"Kid, I think we should run!" shouted Jiraiya. The two Namikaze men ran away as fast as they could as the women beat Ebisu senseless.

* * *

"Alright, we should really get busy. You're a day and a half behind the other kids taking the exam," said Jiraiya. "Now, I heard that Kyo-sama taught you how to refine and use your yokai, correct?"

"Yeah, I'm a natural!" said Naruto.

_**It took you three years to say yokai correctly.**_

'_Don't you have a big ball of yarn to play with?_' Naruto snottily shot back.

_**Foxes are canines, dumbass.**_

"Well, did you know that your body places a set of limiters on your yokai?" asked Jiraiya.

"It does?" replied Naruto.

_**He is correct. They are called Bibuhan (**__Tailed Seals__**). The Bibuhan are meant to keep young, foolhardy demons like you safe from your own power.**_

"I couldn't agree with you more Kyo-sama," said Jiraiya.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, flag on the play," said Naruto. "How can you hear Kyo?"

"They don't call me a sennin for no reason," replied Jiraiya. "Anyways, as time progress, each of the seals weaken, allowing your yokai to become stronger and more potent. When all the seals have finally been removed, your yokai will be at its strongest point."

_**The number of seals placed on a demon determines on the amount of yokai they possess at birth, and how strong the demon will become as he matures. The most any demon can have is eleven seals. The bijuu tend to have at least nine.**_

"So I have at least nine?" asked Naruto.

"Well, I think that it is ten," said Jiraiya. "Sadly, I can't remove the seals for you. These seals come naturally from an ancient Fuuinjutsu long lost to humanity. Even I couldn't remove the seal if I had an eternity to devise a counterseal."

"So basically what you're telling me is that I'm badass, but I can't pull the bad out of my ass," replied Naruto.

_**I have no idea what that means, but let us pretend I do. You naturally weaken the seal as you get older.**_

"So basically what you're saying is that I can pull the bad out of my ass, but my ass will be old and saggy and have liver spots all over it by the time I can?" replied Naruto.

"There are ways to…accelerate the deterioration of the seals," said Jiraiya. "Danger is one way. If your body perceives that it is in imminent danger, and no other solution is available, it will break one of the seals to give you extra strength. You'll then grow what is called a tail."

Naruto's face showed his horror. "It's bad enough I have these ears; now I'll have a tail?!"

_**It is not an actual physical tail. It is a cloak of yokai that surrounds your body and forms a tail at the end. The more tails you possess, the stronger your yokai will be.**_

"Oh, I get it!" said Naruto. "If that's the case, then I already broke a seal. When we were in Namigakure no Sato, a cloak of yokai surrounded me when I fought Haku-chan."

"Then this is good!" shouted Jiraiya. "That means that we can focus on unlocking your second seal. Focus all of your yokai into your chest, then slowly distribute it to the rest of your body until you feel that it has all been spread out evenly. Then keep repeating this process."

Naruto began focusing his yokai as best he could. '_I have to be strong enough to avenge Lee's death and beat Sasuke!_' he thought as a cloak of yokai surrounded his body.

* * *

Gaara sat on top of a large castle in Sunagakure no Sato, merely staring out at the sandy village. A white ball flew up into the air toward Gaara's head. Instantly, all the sand around Gaara formed a large hand that caught the ball.

"Whoa!" shouted a little boy as he ran toward Gaara. "That's awesome!" The hand dropped the ball into the boy's waiting arms. "Thanks mister…"

"Gaara," the psychotic killer replied.

"Ya know, I always see you sittin' up there at night. Do ya ever sleep?"

"Is there a reason as to why you're still here?"

"Geez, I was just tryna be nice, ya jerk," the boy shouted as he walked away. Gaara was stupefied; someone just wanted to be nice to him. He willed the sand that shifted restless behind the boy, ready to crush him, to rest, and allowed the kid to run off to his friends, who waited impatiently for him to return.

* * *

Jiraiya stood atop the Namikaze Estates' main house, staring at the night sky. "Why have you come back after all these years, Uncle?"

The Gama-sennin turned around to face his nephew. He stared at Minato and didn't say a word.

"I couldn't find you after Orochimaru defected. And now he shows his face and you reappear. I take it that you're not just here to see me and Naruto-kun."

"I'm working on another novel. Orochimaru no longer concerns me," replied Jiraiya.

"You never could lie to me," said Minato. "But I need to know. Are you with me or with Orochimaru?"

"You've been a lot of things, but stupid was never one of them," said Jiraiya. "How dare you question my loyalty?"

"When you two fought after he defected, you could have killed him but you brought him back and he escaped again. Then, in Mizu no Kuni you could have killed him again, but you went to help your squad mates who didn't need help. Or how about when you didn't even challenge him in Yugakure no Sato?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"All I want to know is if you'll be able to rise to the occasion when it comes," said Minato.

"I will," replied an angry Jiraiya as he brushed past Minato.

* * *

Three days came and went quickly, and Naruto had mastered creating his yokai cloak by will. Jiraiya was sufficiently impressed as was Kyo.

_**It took me a week to do that!**_

"That's the old Namikaze blood in him," said Jiraiya. "My old man, Namikaze Seigyoku, mastered the Kaiten Me at the age of four.

"Now then, time to teach you a jutsu no ninja should be without. I'm sure you've seen your dad or Sarutobi-sensei perform a Kuchiyose, correct?"

"Yeah!" shouted Naruto. This was it; he was going to sign the Gama contract. For as long as the Namikaze clan existed, they have summoned toads into battle with them. To be allowed to sign the Gama contract was a great honor.

Jiraiya bit his thumb and strung up several hand seals before summoning a giant red bull frog. He opened his mouth and spat out a large scroll. Jiraiya opened the scroll up for Naruto, who stared starry-eyed at it.

"Just sign in blood and you'll be able to summon whenever you desire," said Jiraiya.

Before Naruto could sign, his body stiffened. He began stringing together hand seals and slammed his hand into the floor. A large plume of smoke obscured Jiraiya's view of the blonde Kitsune. As the cloud of smoke began to thin, Jiraiya noticed a man standing with Naruto. He had long platinum blonde hair with red tips, and intense red eyes. He wore a forest green kimono, black armor, and a katana strapped to his waist. He held a large scroll in his hands. His platinum blonde fox ears twitched rapidly as he tried to become familiar with his surroundings.

"_**Where the hell am I?**_" the Kitsune asked.

_**Welcome to the human plane.**_

The Kitsune rolled his eyes and said, "_**Gee, thanks dad. You just had to summon me now. I was this close to getting some.**_"

_**Jiraiya-sama, Naruto-kun, meet my son Harufuudo [**__2__**].**_

"YOU HAVE A SON?!?!"

"SOMEONE SLEPT WITH YOU?!?!"

_**WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!?!**_

"Nothing, just sayin'!"

"WHY CAN'T I FIND A GIRL DESPARATE ENOUGH TO SLEEP WITH ME?!?!"

"_**Uh, yo! Disgruntled Kitsune Okami! Big ass summoning scroll! Kinda want to go back to getting poon!**_" shouted Harufuudo.

_**Do you think about anything other than girls?**_

"_**Uh, yeah! I think about MILFs too!**_"

"Why did you summon this stellar young man here?" asked Jiraiya as he approvingly appraised his fellow pervert.

_**I want Naruto to sign the Kitsune Contract.**_

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," said Jiraiya. "He's a Namikaze! He should be signing the Gama Contract!"

_**He's also the Kyuubi no Kitsune! He should be able to summon any of his own kind, not some damned frogs!**_

"_**Maybe it's none of my business, but doesn't the kid get to choose which contract he wants?**_" Harufuudo said.

"Thank you!" shouted Naruto as he snatched the scroll out of the Kitsune King's hand. He bit his thumb and signed his name in blood.

Jiraiya and his frog summon began to cry profusely. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD TURN YOUR BACK ON YOUR CLAN LIKE THAT!!! AFTER ALL WE'VE DONE FOR YOU!!!"

"I didn't turn my back on the clan, but let's be for real. What Kitsune summons frogs?" replied Naruto.

"TRAITOR!!!"

"_**Uh, can I go now, old man?**_" said Harufuudo.

_**OLD MAN!!! IF I HAD MY BODY, I WOULD BEAT YOU WITHIN AN INCH OF YOUR LIFE!!!**_

* * *

Harufuudo, Naruto, and Jiraiya stood in the middle of a large field. Harufuudo and Jiraiya had struck up a very quick friendship, talking about breasts naturally.

"Personally, I like them bigger. They're a hell of a lot firmer and when you squeeze 'em, the flesh moves through the space in your fingers. That's so erotic!" said Jiraiya with a lecherous grin.

"_**I like them big too, but they can't sag. Having DD's is nice, but if they droop all the way to your stomach, that's a major turnoff,**_" Harufuudo replied.

"Ahem! Can we train?" asked an impatient Naruto.

"Ok ok ok, kid. Just one quick question, Harufuudo-sama. Bald, shaved, or unshaved?"

"_**Bald, definitely.**_"

"But when it's bald, I get turned off. It's like a little girl before puberty!"

"_**But I hate getting hair in my teeth.**_"

"Very true."

"CAN WE GET SOME TRAINING DONE?!?!"

_**TRAIN THE KID OR I SWEAR ON YOUR MOTHER'S GRAVE I WILL CASTRATE YOU BOTH!!!**_

"Thank you!" shouted Naruto.

_**And shaved is better. You will not get hair in your teeth and you will not feel like a pedophile.**_

"ARGHHHHHHHHH!!!!" screamed a frustrated Naruto.

"_**Ok, you little queer. We'll put this conversation on the backburner,**_" said Harufuudo. "_**Now, focus your chakra and think of a creature that you want to summon. Release that chakra and you will be able to summon the creature you want.**_"

"It's the same mechanics as our Kaiten Me," said Jiraiya. "You know how we look at an area, and focus our chakra at that point, and kind of summon ourselves there? It's the same thing, except that you're summoning another being from another point in space."

"Ok, I think I understand," said Naruto as he began to make the summoning hand seals. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" He slammed his fist into the ground and a large plume of smoke obscured him from view.

"_**Wow! He must be summoning one of the higher-ups like me with all that smoke!**_" exclaimed Harufuudo.

The smoke vanished, revealing a cute Kitsune. His fur was green, and his eyes were extremely squinty, making it hard to see what color they were. His tail flicked slowly as he looked at his surroundings.

"_**W-W-Where am I?**_" the cute little Kitsune said as he frantically looked around. He saw Naruto and Jiraiya and howled (cutely of course). "_**HUMANS!!!**_"

Harufuudo walked over to the little Kitsune and said, "_**Relax, Unari of the Winds [**__3__**]. Kyuubi-sama summoned you.**_"

Unari looked around and said, "_**Well, where is he? I don't see him.**_"

Harufuudo pointed to Naruto and said, "_**There he is.**_"

Silence filled the meadow for what seemed to be an eternity. Finally, Unari burst into a raucous laughter. "_**You're kidding, right? He looks so weak!**_"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME, RUNT?!?!" shouted Naruto.

"_**All I'm saying is that if you were tough, you'd have summoned a higher up, not a one-tail like me,**_" said Unari.

"I'll prove you wrong!" shouted Naruto. He made the summoning seals and slammed his palm into the ground. As the plume of smoke cleared, four Kitsunes, identical in appearance to Unari save for different colored fur, ran to the green Kitsune.

"_**Alright weakling,**_" Unari began. "_**The red one is Nenshou of the Fire [**__4__**]; the blue one is Shinseki of the Sea [**__5__**]; the purple one is Dageki of the Lightning [**__6__**]; and the brown one is Deido of the Earth [**__7__**]! Together we're the Five Elemental Brothers!**_

"_**Um, Unari-kun, I thought we agreed that we'd change our name to the Five Elementals seeing as I'm a, you know, girl,**_" said Shinseki.

"_**You're a girl?**_" asked Unari. The blue Kitsune bit her green counterpart's tail. Unari screeched in pain and began running around, failingly trying to shake Shinseki off.

"_**From what I see, you have no talent as a ninja. You should give up now,**_" Harufuudo began. "_**Send me a postcard if things work out!**_" He closed his eyes and tried to dispel himself, but failed miserably.

_**I knew you would try to sneak away without trying, so I decided to block the passageway back to the Nenshoutaira (**__Burning Plains__**). Have fun here on Earth.**_

"_**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!**_"

* * *

Next Time: We're all training; we all want to be something. Sometimes our passion gets lost in the haze of reality.

_**That was very insightful, kit.**_

Got it off a fortune cookie!

_**Should have known. The sky has not yet turned black.**_

_Each Passion! Each Reality!_

* * *

1- My idiot friends argue like that all the time. I always saw Naruto and Jiraiya as the funny, not-so-bright kids in the schoolyard so I thought that using this very poor grammatical argument was perfect for them.

2- New Character Bio (_Harufuudo_): Harufuudo is the son of Okami Kyo. He seems like a spoiled, wasteful pervert, but that is merely an act to keep people from realizing just how cold, calculating, and cruel he can be in battle. His name has no real meaning; I found a skateboard with the name graffiti'd on to it so I kept it lol. (A/N: Think of Sesshoumaru from _Inuyasha_ with a green outfit and platinum blonde and red hair.)

3- New Character Bio (_Unari_): Unari is a young Kitsune with great strength. Despite his young appearance, he is actually a hundred years old. His cute form is really a henge that hides his actual appearance to trick foes into thinking he is weak. He is the strongest of the Five Elementals and the smartest. _**His name means howling.**_

4- New Character Bio (_Nenshou_): Nenshou is a young Kitsune with great strength. Despite his young appearance, he is actually a hundred years old. His cute form is really a henge that hides his actual appearance to trick foes into thinking he is weak. He has the most stamina of the Five Elementals, but the worst temper. _**His name means burning.**_

5- New Character Bio (_Shinseki_): Shinseki is a young Kitsune with great strength. Despite her young appearance, she is actually a hundred years old. His cute form is really a henge that hides his actual appearance to trick foes into thinking he is weak. He has the most yokai of the Five Elementals and is the calmest.

6- New Character Bio (_Daigeki_): Daigeki is a young Kitsune with great strength. Despite his young appearance, he is actually a hundred years old. His cute form is really a henge that hides his actual appearance to trick foes into thinking he is weak. He is the strongest of the Five Elementals, as well as the fastest. _**His name means shocked.**_

7- New Character Bio (_Deido_): Deido is a young Kitsune with great strength. Despite his young appearance, he is actually a hundred years old. His cute form is really a henge that hides his actual appearance to trick foes into thinking he is weak. He is the biggest of the Five Elemental Brothers; he is also the gentlest. _**His name means mud.**_


	26. Chuunin Exams XIV

* * *

Shingen Takeda 1521: You know I never do anything for no reason. Think about Naruto and Sasuke's complex, canonical relationship. Naruto still feels that he can save Sasuke and goes out of his way to protect him. To some who don't understand his love for the Uchiha, it can be perceived as treason. Jiraiya and Orochimaru once had that very same relationship, both in the canon and my story.

Red-volpe: Shinseki is a girl; it was a careless typo lol.

Aki6: I did this on purpose to show the complexity of the human mind. No one is one way 100% of the time, so I showcase this. In every story I ever wrote, my characters were always complex, flawed, and somewhat dark with a light, comical side. Variety is the spice of life, or some clichéd line like that.

Blackmage001: I do admit that I superpowered them a little, but to say my story sucks? That's kinda harsh…

* * *

_Each Passion! Each Reality!_

* * *

Kakashi climbed the mountain with one hand tied behind his back and without chakra. '_It's been a long time since I had a workout this strenuous. Maybe that's why Zabuza-san was able to keep up with me back in Namigakure. I'm out of shape! I don't know if I'll make it in time._' He reached a large ledge and sprawled out on it to catch his breath. He still had a long ways to go.

* * *

Minato had summoned the Elite Jonin and the Jonin Commander to his secret meeting place. Kakashi and Obito were outside of the village, training Sasuke and Shikamaru, respectively. Rin, Chuuko, Sarutobi Asuma and Hiruzen, Yamanaka Inoichi, Gai, Nara Shikaku, and Akimichi Chouza filed into the room, one after the other.

"Commander Nara, I hear you have a startling report for me. What's going on?" said Minato.

Shikaku stood up and cleared his throat. "Some of Jiraiya's spies have reported that Orochimaru was spotted in Ta no Kuni. It seems that he's stirring up an insurrection there," said Shikaku.

"Not to sound like the biggest asshole in the room," said Chuuko as he twirled a kunai in his hands. "But Ta is affiliated with Tsuchi and has on more than one occasion threatened to invade, not that they could really do any damage."

"There's more," replied Shikaku. "Kusa no Kuni and Tsuchi no Kuni mobilized troops and are helping Orochimaru take over Ta."

"So what you're telling us is that Orochimaru is trying to enact a coup d'état?" asked Hiruzen.

"Exactly. With Tsuchi and Kusa's help, Orochimaru might try to invade Hi no Kuni," Shikaku said.

"Great. Another psychopath trying to kill us," replied Chuuko.

"There's more," said Shikaku.

"Goddamn!" shouted Chuuko in disbelief.

"It seems that Suna might side with Orochimaru," said the Commander. "Not only that, but Kiri and Kumo issued declarations of neutrality. We have no allies in this oncoming war."

Minato stroked his chin before saying, "Rin, Chuuko, and Asuma, I want you to go to Suna as quickly as you can. See if you can sway the Kazekage into helping us.

"Hiruzen-sama, I know you're good friends with the Yotsuki Clan. See if you can get Denki-sama to align himself with us.

"And who else would I call on except the infamous Ino-Shika-Cho trio to see if old Yagura-sama will aid us in combat."

"What about me, Minato-sama?" asked Gai.

"Gai-san, you just lost your star pupil. I think you should spend these days getting your mind together in case we do go into battle," Minato gently replied, as if he was unsure of how Gai would take his advice.

"Right," he mumbled.

"Meeting adjourned," Minato shouted. "These are all S-Ranked missions! Go!" The ninja ran out of the room, ready to save their home.

* * *

Kakashi finally made it to the very top of the mountain. Sasuke sat impatiently, twirling a kunai in his hands. "'Bout damn time," he mumbled.

"I see you've made some progress. Show me what, you've learned," Kakashi replied.

Sasuke made three hand seals, gripped his wrist, and focused. Chirping filled the silent mountain peak air; electricity consumed his right hand.

"Chidori!" shouted Sasuke as he rushed a large boulder and punched it. The boulder began to crack, then explode from the pressure. His curse began to throb as it shone with a bright red.

"Great! You can use the Chidori twice before your curse begins to activate. Impressive," said Kakashi.

"Whatever," said Sasuke as he rubbed his neck in pain.

'_The hate in his eyes…it's growing stronger every day,_' thought Kakashi as he lay down on the ground.

"What did you want to be when you were younger?" asked Kakashi as he tiredly stared at the clouds.

Sasuke was silent for a long time before replying, "I wanted to run the Keimu Buntai (_Military Police Force_), like my dad did."

"So, you looked up to your dad?" asked Kakashi.

"I hated him. He treated me like a second class citizen," replied Sasuke. "I wanted to run the Keimu Buntai because I thought that I could win his approval. I realized long after he died that I never would have won his approval."

"That's a sad realization," said Kakashi.

"It's the way life is," replied Sasuke as he began doing crunches.

* * *

"KYAAA!!!" shouted Sakura as she swung at Ino's head once again. The blonde girl sent chakra into her hair, which took on a life of its own. It wrapped around Sakura's hand and yanked her toward Ino, who headbutted the pink-haired girl. The two girls collapsed in a heap, unmoving for several minutes.

"DAMN!!! YOUR SKULL IS HARDER THAN METAL, FIVE HEAD!!!" shouted Ino as she rubbed the giant knot on her forehead.

"YOUR SKULL ISN'T EXACTLY MADE OF COTTON, EITHER!!!" Sakura shot back.

The two girls lay on the ground, breathing heavily. "Do you think that Sasuke-kun is ok?" asked Sakura.

"I don't know, and I honestly don't care," replied Ino.

"I can't believe you're saying that! Sasuke-kun is the greatest!" shouted Sakura.

"You sound so stupid, Sakura," replied Ino. "I've seen how he is; besides, Haku-chan has her sights set on him."

Sakura rolled her eyes and said, "That bitch is way too fat for Sasuke-kun."

"How could you say something like that?" shouted Ino as she stood to her feet. The look on her face was one of anger. "Haku-chan is one of the sweetest, nicest, most thoughtful people I know! She's helped me to become a stronger ninja, and if anyone can help a dark soul like Sasuke's, it's her!"

"Please, Sasuke needs perfection on his arms, not a fat, ugly cow!"

Ino scoffed and replied, "You know when I dated Naruto last year, I realized that being so shallow was pointless and stupid. Naruto had a soul that was so pure and sweet. Your soul is almost as black and twisted as that curse on Sasuke's neck. If you don't change your ways, you'll be sad and lonely."

And with that, Ino walked away, leaving Sakura to ponder her words.

* * *

Neji and Tenten sat at Lee's grave. Tenten was sobbing uncontrollably; Neji's face was as stoic as ever, but deep within his very core, the desire to cry welled up with ever increasing force.

"All he wanted was to be the greatest Taijutsu master in the whole nation," sobbed Tenten. "He shouldn't be dead. He shouldn't be!"

"Shh, its ok, Tenten-chan," Neji weakly mumbled. The two stood up and hugged as tightly as they could. They enjoyed the embrace; it wasn't a romantic embrace, but one shared between two grieving souls.

"Neji-kun, I have to get home. I just need to be away from here for a little while," Tenten said. She quickly walked away from the cemetery.

Neji dropped to his knees and stared up into the sky. "Kami, I know that I don't deserve any favor from you for the way I've treated others. But Lee deserves life more than any of us. I'll gladly give up my own if it means that Tenten-chan and Gai-sensei can have Lee back," he muttered. "Please. I'm begging you."

The Hyuuga walked away with tears streaming down his face. A plant began to bloom over Lee's grave; its growth was startling. A white lotus stood over Lee's grave, massive in size. Slowly but surely, the petals on it began to fall.

* * *

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" shouted Naruto as he slammed his fist into the ground. A large, black-furred Kitsune appeared next to him. He had three tails that swished rapidly behind him.

"_**After three weeks, the most you can summon is a three-tails,**_" said Harufuudo. "_**You suck sweaty man balls.**_"

"I'D LIKE TO SEE ANY OF YOU DO BETTER!!!" Naruto shouted.

"I perfected summoning in a week," said Jiraiya.

"_**Three days,**_" said Harufuudo.

_**Sixteen hours.**_

"HEY, HEY, HEY!!! FUCK YOU GUYS!!!" shouted an irate Naruto.

Unfortunately, Harufuudo and Jiraiya were hiding behind some bushes and spying on some young women playing in the lake.

"Are all adults perverts?" asked Naruto.

"_**Yes, young master,**_" said the black Kitsune.

"What's your name?" asked Naruto.

"_**Hon'ei [**__1__**]. I'm the sensei of Unari, Nenshou, Shinseki, Dageki, and Deido,**_" Hon'ei replied.

"So, what can you do?" asked Naruto.

"_**Shadow manipulation,**_" Hon'ei said. Naruto could tell by his tone he was very proud of this. "_**My father trained people from your village in this very ancient art. I believe you call them the Nara.**_"

"Wow," replied Naruto. "Does all jutsu come from kitsunes?"

"_**Not all of it, but the vast majority of it, especially Genjutsu, is derived from our Bijutsu,**_" Hon'ei said. "_**Kitsune are very magical creatures. Other beings saw that we were especially gifted and sought our teaching. In hindsight, we were too trusting a race; we shared secrets with creatures who would use our magic for evil.**_"

"But who taught you?" asked Naruto. "I mean, I don't think the first Kitsune woke up and created jutsu."

"_**Ah, we call him the Seijin no Yuuen (**__Grandest of Sages__**). Your people call him the Rikudo Sennin, the first ninja,**_" replied Hon'ei. "_**He brought jutsu to us; we granted him knowledge of the makai.**_"

Hon'ei looked at Naruto and asked, "_**Why are you so attached to these people Naruto-sama?**_"

"Because they abandoned me," Naruto said in a rare moment of maturity. "I want to show them that even though they scorned me, I'm a better man, a better _human_."

"_**But that's ludicrous! You aren't human; you're a demon!**_" replied Hon'ei in bewilderment.

"I might be the craziest demon ever, but I still want to cling to my humanity," Naruto said. He picked up a smooth stone and threw it at Harufuudo's head. "Yo! Can you teach me a Bijutsu?"

* * *

"I take it you know everything that Shikaku-san spoke of?" asked Minato as he stared into the small pool of water in his hidden meeting place. Jiraiya's face covered the surface of the water.

"Of course. The information came from my spies," replied Jiraiya. Minato winced at how short his answer was.

"Look, Uncle, I'm sorry I doubted you," Minato began. "But I'm worried for you. Orochimaru knows how to play you and I'm afraid this time he'll get you."

"The only way I'll die is if he can crush my neck with his bare hands [_**2**_]," replied Jiraiya. "My time out of the village helped me realize that my friend died a long time ago. I'll be able to kill Orochimaru, kid."

"How's Naruto-kun's training going?" asked Minato.

"Kyo summoned his son to help me teach him summoning, but so far we haven't really made much headway. Harufuudo-sama is teaching Naruto a powerful Bijutsu that might help in his fight against Hyuuga Hinata.

"Speaking of Hyuugas, how goes Hiashi and Hizashi's plans for rebellion?"

* * *

"How do you feel, Neji-kun?" Hizashi asked softly as Neji weakly tried to sit up.

"Sick," he said. "Are you sure the curse is gone?"

"Positive," replied Hiashi as he handed the boy a cup of herbal tea. "The only one left to free is Ko and then we can cast the elders out of the clan."

"I'll release the seal when Ko and Hinata return from the forest," replied Hizashi as he patted Neji on his leg. "Do you still believe we're destined to be slaves?"

Neji smiled and answered, "I thought that?"

* * *

Hinata stood in the middle of a small crater, panting. Ko stood nearby, impressed at how fast she caught on to the mechanics of her jutsu.

"Impressive, Hinata-chan!" shouted Ko. "You mastered the spin, and how to expel the chakra! And in three and a half weeks! It took your dad twice as long!"

"I have to *pant* beat Naruto!" shouted Hinata.

"Really?" asked Ko in amusement. "I don't know if he'd appreciate that. Most guys can't take a blow to their ego."

"Not Naruto," panted Hinata. "He'd be hurt if I went easy on him just because I like him."

"So you do like him?" asked Ko with the biggest shit-eating grin on his face.

Hinata turned beet red, and stammered, "UH, UH, LIKE, UM, UH, A FRIEND!!!"

"Riiiiiight," replied Ko.

"DON'T WE HAVE SOME TRAINING TO DO?!?!"

* * *

Haku and Zabuza sat in the middle of a large lake. Zabuza was meditating; Haku just seemed to be concentrating.

"Are you sure you can do this?" asked Zabuza.

"Honestly? No," replied Haku. "But I won't know for sure until I try." Haku's eyes turned blue as she focused all of her might. The water in the lake shot up into the air and floated high above their heads. Haku forced the water to form as many shapes as she could think of before letting the immense expanse of water fall around them.

Haku's eyes turned sea blue, and she grunted from the strain. Water began to materialize out of thin air!

"Unreal!" shouted Zabuza as small orbs of liquid formed around them. "You can use the moisture in the air! This transcends every expectation I had of you!"

Haku's eyes turned white and the orbs turned into hail and fell around them. She couldn't handle the strain of the jutsu and passed out, slipping beneath the blue depths. Zabuza dove in and surfaced with the unconscious girl in his arms.

"You may be the strongest ninja I ever met, Haku-chan," Zabuza said tenderly as he waddled to shore to warm his daughter up.

* * *

"**Stay still, Chuuko! I just wanna drink your spinal fluids!**" shouted Ikujinashi as he spat his long, lavender tongue at Chuuko. The Jonin leapt out of the way and stomped on the tongue with all his might.

"Fight him, Kiokure-kun! We both know your will is stronger than anything he can throw at you!" shouted Chuuko as he dodged a swipe from the demon general's claws.

Ikujinashi leapt away and fired a volley of black nails at the Jonin. Chuuko unsheathed his two chokuto and deflected every projectile that made its way to him. Well, except for one. A black nail pierced Chuuko's neck. It filled his body with venom, and the Jonin dropped to the ground and writhed in pain.

"**My neurotoxin will overload your nervous system, causing you immense pain,**" said Ikujinashi as he licked his lips hungrily. "**That makes you tastier!**"

Ikujinashi raised his clawed hand and prepared to slit Chuuko's throat. He suddenly stopped, and began howling. A wild maelstrom of chakra enshrouded Ikujinashi's body; Kiokure was fighting him back. The chakra storm died down, revealing Kiokure kneeling on the ground. The Eiki no Fukumen lay a ways off from the panting boy.

"How long did that take?" panted Kiokure.

Chuuko removed the nail and waited for his body's natural antibodies to remove the toxins. "Thirty-three hours, forty-five minutes, and ten seconds. That's about 10% better than a month ago," the old-looking man tiredly replied.

Kiokure smiled and thought, '_I'm getting stronger every day father. I'll bring Hanayaka home. I promise!_'

* * *

Satsu sat on a smooth stone floor in a room that resembled a medieval dungeon. An old man hobbled over to him. He had long grey hair that was slicked back and a grey beard that reached the top of his chest; his hairline had receded greatly in his years. His green eyes were dull, almost as if the color had faded from them throughout the decades. He wore a grey kimono and a blue vest over it. The elderly gentleman leaned on a smooth wooden cane.

"How goes the meditation, young Satsu-kun?" he asked.

"Not so good, Ojiisan [_**3**_]," replied Satsu as he rubbed his temples. "I have a hard time focusing because of the Gekidoshin [_**4**_]. Ever since I took the second exam, it's been pulsating like crazy."

"Hmm, that's odd," said the old man as he stroked his beard.

"Don't lie to me, Jun-sama," Satsu said in anger. Jun could see that a red pentagram was shining on Satsu's chest through his simple white shirt. "Did Orochimaru do this to me?"

Jun hesitated, unsure of what to say. Satsu stomped his foot, cracking the stone slightly beneath it. "_**Tell me!**_"

"Yes," Jun said. "He wanted his first attempt at the Curse Seal to be perfect. And the perfect host would be his own son."

Satsu realized he was losing it ad began to breathe heavily. The pentagram light dimmed, then finally died out. "Is dad really here?" he asked.

Jun winced at the expression on Satsu's face; it was one of hope. It almost made him seem………pathetic. "He might be, Satsu-kun," Jun said quietly.

"Do you think he'll come to see me?" Satsu asked gleefully.

"I have a feeling he may," Jun said as he hobbled away. Tears stained his old, wrinkled face. Satsu may have the Ganjouomoi, but his mind was very weak and fragile if he thought that Orochimaru was coming for him because he loved the boy.

* * *

Next Time: It's finally here! The third exam begins today! It's so good to see Hinata. She looks so...so...so beautiful. But she's my enemy right now and I have to stomp her!

_Match 1! A Lover's Spat!_

_

* * *

_

Next Time: Satsu needs to chill the hell out! I've never seen him so angry before! He might just kill Kankuro!

_Match 2! The Beserker's Curse!_

* * *

1- New Character Bio (_Hon'ei_): Hon'ei is a powerful demon from the Kitsune clan. He is young by makai standards; Hon'ei is only about 300 years old. He is a very powerful Kitsune that will be a powerful asset to any one lucky enough to be the Kyuubi no Kitsune. _**His name means umbra.**_

2- Can you say foreshadowing???

3- New Character Bio (_Toppyoushimonai Jun_): Jun is the head of the Toppyoushimonai clan. He was a very powerful ninja in his day; the only ninja who could possibly defeat him were Sarutobi Hiruzen or Danzo. Jun was asked to be the Sandaime Hokage, but declined, stating he had no interest in politics. He retired just before the attack of the Kyuubi, dedicating the next thirteen years to raising his grandson, Satsu. _**His name means umbra.**_

4- The Gekidoshin (_Rage Core_) is a wicked Fuuinjutsu that magnifies rage. The slightest thing will enrage the wearer, and the curse will boost their strength to unnatural levels. The Gekidoshin is similar to a curse mark; the angrier the wearer, the more they change physically.

* * *

I have a request to make of you guys. My friend Jace, the one who was supposed to be drawing up the characters for my story, and I had a major fight and he trashed all the art he made. It doesn't seem like we'll be kissing and making up from this one so if there are any artists out there, would you mind drawing the characters for me? I don't have anyway to repay except with great thanks and friendship. If anyone can do this for me, thank you so much!


	27. Chuunin Exams XV

* * *

Red-volpe: I am too :(. It's the beginning of Sakura's change; she's not going to admit she needs to for a very long time, though. And Jiraiya is my all-time, absolute, favorite character in any anime. I'm very partial to his survival lol.

Shingen Takeda 1521: Don't worry bro. Jiraiya will be just fine and you'll like this chapter.

Thanks to god of all for the encouragement! And I'm so sorry for the delay! School has me stretched thin so I haven't had enough time devoted to the story! I hope this chapter makes up for it!

* * *

_Match 1! A Lovers' Spat!_

* * *

Naruto and Jiraiya walked through Konoha, which was decorated beautifully for the upcoming third exam. Lights hung everywhere; red and white flags with the kanji for fire on it swayed beautifully in the breeze. Thousands of people walked up and down the main street, wearing shirts that had pictures of the last four Hokages on them.

"Wow! Everyone sure has been busy since we left!" exclaimed Naruto as he watched two little kids running past, one wearing a frog mask, the other wearing a Hokage hat.

"Well, the finals are tomorrow," replied Jiraiya as he handed Naruto an ice cream cone. "This is the busiest time of year for any village lucky enough to host the exam. Kusagakure no Sato is going to host the exam in January. It might do their economy some good."

After a few minutes of walking, the duo finally made it to the Hokage Tower. They entered Minato's office; the young Hokage was banging his head against his desk.

"ARGH!!! IS THE DAIMYO OF SUNA STILL ASKING ME WHERE HE CAN FIND PROSTITUTES?!?! SHIKAN, I JUST WANNA WRING HIS NECK!!! I'M THE FUCKING HOKAGE, NOT HUGGY BEAR [_**1**_]!!!"

Jiraiya smirked and replied, "Wrong ninja, Huggy Bear."

Minato smiled at the two Namikaze men and said, "And I was starting to think you two wouldn't make it in time for tonight's soiree."

Naruto's confusion became obvious as he asked, "What's a soiree?"

Jiraiya smiled even wider and answered, "It's a fancy party, kinda like a ball. And you have to attend."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

"It's not that bad, Naru-kun," replied Minato. "You'll get to wear one of those old school kimonos."

"Again, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

"Oy vey," groaned Jiraiya.

"Look, either you go to the dance, or you automatically forfeit the exam," shouted Minato.

"How's that fair?!" shouted Naruto.

"We have to show off all the finalists to the politicians," replied Minato.

"In a sense, we're whoring you out," said Jiraiya.

"Gee thanks," Naruto sarcastically replied.

* * *

Naruto smoothed out the wrinkles in his kimono as he walked with his uncle to the Namikaze Estates. He wore a jet black kimono with the red Namikaze crest on his back. His hitai-ite was tied around his neck. Jiraiya opted to wear his regular battle outfit.

"I don't get it," Naruto said. "Why do I have to wear this thing and you get to wear that?"

"I'm the pimp and you and your friends are my whores. No one cares what I have on; they're checking for you."

"Wonderful analogy, Uncle," replied Naruto as they walked into the garden.

"Go make that money, kid," said Jiraiya as he slapped Naruto on the butt.

Naruto looked around for familiar faces; most were politicians from Suna, Konoha, as well as a few other smaller ninja nations. He saw Shikamaru and his father Shikaku, both wearing identical black kimonos. Shikaku walked over to an aging Konoha senator, leaving Shikamaru alone. The pineapple headed boy sauntered over to Naruto.

"Long time, no see, Naruto-kun," said Shikamaru.

"Likewise. How was your training?"

"Troublesome."

Naruto laughed and replied, "I knew you'd say that!"

"Naruto!" The blonde turned around and saw Haku and Satsu. Haku was wearing a sea green, low cut kimono that stopped about mid-thigh. Satsu wore a purple kimono with thin, green stripes.

"Wow, Haku!" said Naruto. "That's some dress. Showing off for Sasuke?"

Haku turned red and shouted, "HELL NO!!! I KEEP TELLING YOU I DON'T LIKE THAT EMO!!!"

"You know, this is a major case of the pot calling the kettle black," said Satsu.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you like Hinata?"

"………"

Haku and Satsu slapped hands and the ice maiden shouted, "SCORE ONE FOR SQUAD 6!!!"

A dark aura seemed to cover the garden, and laughter from the four Genin stopped. In walked Gaara, Kankuro, Temari, and a man who looked just like Gaara. The Konoha-nin glared at Gaara, who lifelessly stared back at them. Minato walked over to Gaara's father and said, "Jikoken'o-sama [_**3**_], it's been a long time."

"Pft, do not act as if you're happy I'm in your home, Namikaze-sama," the Kazekage replied. "I'm only here at the request of the Wind Lord."

Minato's steely face did not change as he said, "Enjoy the food and your stay in Konoha. Hopefully, it'll be to your satisfaction."

Minato turned and walked away. Shikan appeared in front of the young Hokage and said, "I received a message from Kakashi. They were attacked by a rogue group of ninja near the Valley of the End. What's disturbing is that one of the ninja bore the crest of Otogakure no Sato."

Minato turned and looked at Jikoken'o, who had been glaring fiercely at the back of his blonde, spiky head. '_I wonder…_' thought Minato.

* * *

As the night went on, music began to play. Haku and Satsu shared a dance, and Naruto and Shikamaru opted to hang by the garden wall and sip their punch. The music slowed to a ballad and a pretty girl began to sing a romantic song.

"I hate slow dances. They're so…"

"Troublesome?"

"Yep."

As the girl's beautiful voice filled the night air, a soft, pale hand touched Naruto's shoulder. Naruto turned around and was met by the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

"H-H-Hinata!" he choked out as his skin turned 23 shades of red. Hinata's hair was straightened and didn't curl at the ends like it usually did. She wore a stunning purple kimono with a yellow ribbon tied in the back at her waist. Hinata was the spitting image of her mother this night.

"N-N-Naru-kun! I-I-I missed you so much!" Hinata said, then clasped her hand over her mouth, realizing she said a bit too much.

"I, uh, I missed you, too," Naruto said as he rubbed his neck. The blonde looked at Haku and Satsu, who were laughing as they clumsily moved around the dance floor. "Do you, uh, wanna dance?" Naruto nervously asked.

All Hinata could do was weakly nod in amazement. The Kitsune grabbed the princess' hand and they twirled in a cute but awkward way around the dance floor. White eyes met blue and they leaned in, ever so slowly as their lips touched. The kiss lasted a second, but for the two Genin, it seemed to be an eternity. No words were needed to describe the love that flowed between their lips.

Hinata laid her head against Naruto's shoulder and said, "Don't think I'm going easy on you 'cause you're a good kisser."

All Naruto could do is laugh as the singer finished her song [_**4**_].

Haku and Satsu smiled at each other as they watched the two Genin embrace each other. "'Bout damn time!" they said in unison.

* * *

Minato was on edge the whole night. Some dark, pervasive presence seemed to cover the garden. It was faint, just pungent enough to alert Minato of its existence, but failing to make those not trained in the ninja way aware.

"Lord Namikaze!" a rough, gravelly voice called to the young Hokage. He looked around, searching for the source of the voice. "Down here!"

Minato looked down and saw a small, brown pug wearing a blue vest and a Konoha hitai-ite. "Lord Namikaze, my name is Pakkun, Kakashi's messenger summon. He sent me to alert you that he and Sasuke won't be making your party," the dog said.

"And why is that?"

"They were attacked by a contingent of Oto-nin near their training grounds. Kakashi managed to kill the ninja, but the battle alerted the rest of the ninja they were traveling with. They have to take a longer route back to Konoha. They probably won't make it here until tomorrow."

Minato tried his best to hide the shock on his face as he asked, "How many ninja does Kakashi believe are chasing him?"

Pakkun's face darkened considerably as he said, "About 40,000 Oto-nin."

* * *

"Raikiri!" shouted Kakashi as he thrust his right hand into the Oto-nin commander's chest. He ripped it out, grabbed Sasuke, who had just burned two Genin alive with his Gokakyu no Jutsu, and used his Kaiten Me to put several more kilometers between them and the Oto-nin. Before they vanished, Kakashi shouted, "Raikou Tekidan (_Lightning Grenade_)[_**5**_]!"

The two Konoha-nin materialized under a tree and began running again. "Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke began as he activated his Sharingan so he could keep up with the grey-haired Jonin. "We killed a lot of those Oto-nin. They can't possibly have many more."

"Sasuke-kun, there are a lot more. I didn't want to scare you, but Konoha and Oto are on the verge of a war. It looks like the Fourth Great Ninja War is going to begin."

Kakashi stopped running, and his young ward followed his lead. "Get on my back. You need to be at full strength for your match against Gaara."

"If those Oto-nin are here, there might not be an exam tomorrow! I should be helping you kill these bastards!"

"Can you help me kill 40,000+ ninja?" shouted Kakashi. "I didn't think so! Now, do what I told you!" Sasuke glared at Kakashi and begrudgingly got on his back. As Kakashi sped off into the night, Sasuke's curse mark began to glow dully.

* * *

The Koroshiamu no Kikyo (_Coliseum of Kikyo_)[_**6**_] was filled with thousands of spectators. The anticipation filled the early morning air; young ninja were about to destroy themselves for these people's amusement.

Naruto sat in the combatants' box and thought to himself, '_I can't wait to show everyone the Kitsunes I can summon!_'

_**Are you sure you will be able to fight your baby?**_

'_She'd never talk to me again if I went easy on her. And I'm a bit excited at the prospect of fighting Hinata-chan._'

_**Sounds like you, Kit.**_

"Hey, Naruto-kun!"

Naruto spun around at the sound of Hinata's lithe voice. "Hey, Hina-chan!"

The two looked at each other, unsure of how to great each other now that they had kissed the night before. Neither one of them had actually said the other was their boyfriend/girlfriend, so should they greet each other that way?

"WE WANNA SEE YOU KISS AGAIN!!!" shouted Haku, jarring the two out of their reverie.

"WHERE'S YOUR EMO LORD OF DARKNESS?!?!" Naruto shot back.

Haku smiled and walked off, but her thoughts portrayed a different emotion. '_Where's Sasuke? And why do I have the feeling trouble is following him wherever he is?_'

Naruto turned to Hinata and said, "May the best Genin win."

Hinata gave an uncharacteristic smirk and replied, "She will."

* * *

Ino and Choji sat together in the stands as they waited for the exam to start. "I hear everyone's here but Sasuke," said Choji as he stuffed his face full of chips.

"I'm more excited to see if Shikamaru can outsmart Haku," replied Ino as she began biting her nails.

Choji picked up on this right away; Ino only bit her nails when she was scared or nervous. "What's wrong?" he asked as he put his chips down.

"I bumped into a man when I was walking here, and I got a weird vibe from him. It's been bugging me ever since."

"What did he look like?"

"His face was covered by a veil." Ino bit her nails again as she thought, '_If what I saw is true, Sasuke is in some serious trouble._'

* * *

Minato and Jikoken'o sat on plush chairs on a rooftop high above the arena. They both wore their red and blue Kage hats, respectively, as they were the only Kages with Genin involved in this year's tournament.

"Are you ready for the exam?" asked Minato.

"I'm ready to see my children make Sunagakure no Sato proud," Jikoken'o stiffly replied.

Shikan materialized before Minato and whispered in his ear, "Sir another messenger dog arrived. Kakashi should be here in a few hours."

"Is the strike team ready?"

"Yes sir, I'm preparing to join the front lines."

"Be careful, kiddo." Shikan nodded and vanished in a swirl of leaves.

"What was that all about?" asked Jikoken'o.

"A civil disturbance in the village last night got a little messy. You know how things get during the Chuunin Exams."

Minato grimaced; Hiruzen-sama had told him to be as pleasant as possible, for Jikoken'o had yet to pick a side in the upcoming war with Oto. "You must be pretty tired; the ball lasted well into the early morning."

"You may be tired, but I am not," Jikoken'o replied, his gaze stuck on the Hokage Monument. "Have you ever thought of choosing your successor? I hear that Konoha may be involved in a war, and you might die."

"No, I never thought of choosing one."

"Hmph," Jikoken'o replied as he stared at Chuuko, who took center stage.

* * *

Chuuko held up his arms to quiet the crowds. He had been "warned" by Minato not to embarrass the village. Truthfully, he didn't have the energy. Chuuko had just returned from Suna an hour prior, and this event was expected to take at least six hours.

"Welcome, one and all, to Konohagakure no Sato, the sight of the Chuunin Selection Exams!" he shouted as his voice was bolstered with chakra so everyone could hear him. The roars of glee from the crowd were boisterous, almost deafening. Chuuko waited until the crowd calmed to continue.

"We will now start the main tournament matches! These nine Genin are the best in the ninja world and will battle for the chance to receive a promotion in rank!

"The first match will involve the heirs of Konoha's most prestigious clans! From the Namikaze Clan, please welcome Namikaze Naruto!" The roars of the crowd blotted out sound from all over the village.

"And his opponent is the princess of the Hyuuga Clan: Hyuuga Hinata!" The roars increased; Hiashi and Hizashi sat proudly in the Hyuuga clan box with Neji and Hanabi as they watched Hinata and Naruto walk into the arena.

* * *

"Good! It's just about to start!" Choji and Ino looked up to see Squad 8 standing over them. Ino and Sakura glared at each other as Choji made room for them. Sakura made sure to sit on the end of the row so as to not have to sit next to Ino.

"Wait! Got room for one more?" Kiokure panted as he ran up the stairs.

"Kiokure-kun? Why aren't you sitting with your clan?" asked Ino.

"The same reason you, Choji, Kiba, and Shino aren't: I wanna be close to the action!" He shouted as he sat next to Sakura. Their hands brushed softly and Kiokure left his hand there for a second. He quickly pulled his hand away as his face turned red.

* * *

Naruto smiled as he reached into his ninja pouch. "Ready to lose Hinata?"

Hinata smirked as she replied, "Funny I was about to ask you that!"

Naruto replied by throwing two kunai at the Hyuuga heiress. Hinata didn't really have to dodge it; they veered to the side and landed near her. Not wanting to risk it being a trick, Hinata leapt forward, only to have another kunai speeding toward her. She twisted her body in such a way as that the kunai would sail past her and embedded itself in the wall.

"Oni Bijustu: Onichishuuha!" shouted Naruto as he unsheathed the Ierokitsune and sent a powerful crescent of yellow yokai toward Hinata. She sidestepped the jutsu, only to see a third kunai careening toward her head! Hinata let the kunai get close, and then grabbed the hilt, stopping the knife a centimeter away from her face.

"Stop screwing around Naruto!" shouted Hinata as she dropped the kunai and charged Naruto again. The boy tried to slice Hinata in half, but she knocked the mythical blade out of his hand. She activated her Byakugan and began striking the tenketsu in his body, finishing with the one connected to the Kitsune's heart.

Naruto coughed up blood and exploded in a plume of smoke. "Where are you Naruto?"

"Right here!" A mob of Naruto's materialized around Hinata.

'_Damn! I can't tell which one is the real Naruto! Dad wasn't joking about the power of Kitsune Genjutsu!_' thought Hinata. She rushed at the first one and struck it in its heart.

One down.

Hinata kicked another in the neck, and smashed her hand in the face of another.

Three down.

Three of the clones tried to jump on Hinata, who stood on her hands, spread her legs and began spinning like a helicopter, knocking the three clones into three more.

Nine down.

"Don't let her win!" the other eleven clones shouted. "Attack!" They all rushed Hinata, who stood up right and slipped into a Juken stance. "Hakkesho Kaiten (_Eight Trigrams Heavenly Palm Spin_)!"

Hinata released chakra from all of her tenketsu and began spinning, creating a blue, rotating orb of chakra. The clones crashed into the orb, causing them to be flung away with tremendous force and dispel. The real Naruto smashed into the tree in the middle of the arena, denting it.

"You want to become the Hokage with that piss poor fighting?" shouted Hinata as Naruto slowly rose from the ground.

Naruto growled and shouted, "Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (_Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu_)!" Hundreds of Naruto's materialized around Hinata. "You can't spin forever!" they all shouted with anger as they leapt into the air.

Hinata changed her stance as she thought, '_Gotta make sure I don't hit the audience._' She began to move her arms rapidly as she shouted, "Shugohakke Rokujuyon Sho (_Protection of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms_)!"

Condensed, laser-like chakra escaped from Hinata's palms as she moved her arms with unreal speed. All of Naruto's clones were sliced into tiny chunks within seconds.

* * *

The Hyuugas stared at Hinata wide-mouthed as Hinata destroyed all of Naruto's clones. "What technique is that Ko-san?" asked Neji.

"I-I-I don't know! I never taught Hinata that!"

"That's because the Shugohakke Rokujuyon Sho is an unfinished technique of Hinode's," replied Hiashi.

"As you know, the Byakugan grants us a 359 degree field of vision," began Hizashi. "With it, we can use the Hakkesho Kaiten to create an impregnable chakra shield that prevents any outside force from getting in."

"The Shugohakke Rokujuyon Sho works differently. Hinata is naturally flexible, which is required for this jutsu. She can move her arms to any point in her 359 degree field of vision and fire a chakra laser from her palm that can cut anything it touches," finished Hiashi.

"Do all twins talk like that?" asked Ko, much to Hiashi and Hizashi's annoyance.

* * *

Naruto summoned his blade at the last second to deflect several chakra blades from killing him. "Hinata" exploded in a swirl of rose petals and materialized in front of Naruto. "Hakke Sanjuni Sho (_Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms_)!"

Hinata struck Naruto over and over, all over his body. Naruto screamed in pain as he dropped to the floor. "If you don't want to take me seriously, then you will di—"

"Now!" shouted Naruto as he kicked the Hyuuga princess away.

The four kunai exploded in a plume of smoke as four small Kitsunes rushed out of it. The Ierokitsune exploded into a plume of smoke, and Unari leapt out and shouted, "**Oni Bijutsu: Doragoniki (**_Demon Art: Dragonbreath_**)[**_7_**]**!"

Hinata began spinning and activated her Kaiten again to deflect the gold and purple flames that attempted to consume her. "_**Oni Bijutsu: Nepuchu-n no Fin (**__Demon Art: Fins of Neptune__**)[**__8__**]!**_" shouted Shinseki.

Several large crescents of water launched themselves at the Kaiten, but it did not budge. "_**Oni Bijutsu: Kasai Supekutoru (**__Demon Art: Spectral Fire__**)[**_9_**]!**_" Blue flames hit the Kaiten, along with the other attacks, in an attempt to force Hinata to drop her jutsu.

Then something incredible happened.

* * *

"Hiashi-sama, is that what I think it is? I thought the Kaiten was an absolute defense!" shouted Ko.

"No jutsu created by humans can be considered an absolute anything," replied Hiashi.

"Enough pressure can cause cracks like that to appear in the Kaiten," said Hizashi.

"What's more is that the Kaiten can only stay active so long as the user can continue to rotate."

"If Hinata-chan stops, those attacks will rip her to pieces. If she can somehow maintain the Kaiten until the attacks cease, Hinata-chan will be too dizzy to fight back."

"Don't count out Hinata-chan just yet," said Neji as the Kaiten continued to crack.

* * *

The Kaiten continued to crack and crack as the three Kitsunes bombarded it with their attacks. Naruto watched the scene with the eyes of a seasoned ninja, even though he was so young. "Dageki and Deido, get ready to attack when the Kaiten breaks. Hinata is faster than even Sasuke, so I know she'll get out of there…"

Naruto's eyes widen in fear and he shouted, "Nenshou, Unari, Shinseki, get out of there now!"

"_**But…**_" began Unari.

"Now!" shouted Naruto. The three Kitsunes stopped their attacks and leapt away as the Kaiten finally shattered. The Five Elementals and Naruto scrambled around to avoid the chakra lasers. One laser was speeding toward Dageki, who was unable to dodge. Naruto flung his body in the way, and the laser pierced his leg, going straight through.

"_**Argh!**_" screamed Naruto as he dropped to the ground. Hinata finally stopped spinning and dropped to her knees and vomited. She was so dizzy she couldn't fathom how she was going to pull through.

_**Kit, if you do not use it, you are going to bleed to death.**_

'_Damn. I wanted to save it for Sasuke, but oh well._' Naruto closed his eyes and began focusing. Yokai began to slowly leak fro

* * *

Next Time: Satsu needs to chill the hell out! I've never seen him so angry before! He might just kill Kankuro!

_Match 2! The Beserker's Curse!_

* * *

1- I was watching the original Starsky and Hutch with my gramps when I wrote this chapter lol.

2- Can you say foreshadowing???

3- New Character Bio (_Jikoken'o_): Jikoken'o is the Yondaime Kazekage and the father of Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro. He gained fame during the Third Great Shinobi War as Konoha-atemi (_Leaf Blower_). Jikoken'o harbors a great hatred for Namikaze Jiraiya and Minato, the only two Konoha-nin who could best him. Jikoken'o begrudgingly works with Minato, as the Wind and Fire Lords have signed peace treaties after the war. _**His name means self-hatred.**_

4- Finally! I had no clue how to incorporate this and I was watching an anime where the two main characters admitted their feelings before going into battle against each other. I wish to God I knew what anime that was; it was really good.

5- Raikou Tekidan (_Lightning Grenade_): The user first uses another Raiton jutsu to supercharge something or someone. Then, using their chakra, the user detonates the "grenade," releasing thousands of kilowatts of electricity. This is a great jutsu for taking out massive amounts of enemies.

6- History Lesson!: The Koroshiamu no Kikyo was a coliseum dedicated to Kisaki Kikyo (_Queen Kikyo_). Demons were purified in that very coliseum. Kikyo abolished this practice and made the coliseum a place for martial arts tournaments.

7- Oni Bijutsu: Doragoniki (_Demon Art: Dragonbreath_): A Bijutsu akin to the dragon yokai. The user breathes out yokai, which can corrode even the strongest metals.

8- Oni Bijutsu: Nepuchu-n no Fin (_Demon Art: Fins of Neptune_): A Bijutsu akin to sea serpent yokai. The user generates a crescent of aquatic yokai, shaped similar to a fish fin.

9- Oni Bijutsu: Kasai Supekutoru (_Demon Art: Spectral Fire_): A Bijutsu that relies on the strength of the user's soul. The user breathes out blue flames that burns the target's soul, leaving no visible signs of damage on the target.


	28. Chuunin Exams XVI

Shingen Takeda 1521: In all honesty, I thought war should have broken out after the Oto-Suna invasion in the canon. And you can't guess where I'm going because I change my plots so much that I don't even know where I'm going anymore lol. A few characters (like Kiokure and Shikan) were created on the spot to satisfy whatever need I had at the time.

As far as Hinata and Naruto's battle, Hinata never would have put Naruto's life in danger purposely. She made sure to avoid all the spots that would issue a fatality, and actually held back when she had the opportunity to kill him. When Naruto was hit by her secondary absolute defense, he leapt in the way to protect his summon and that's why he got hurt as bad as he did. And you'll truly see close to the end of the story just how much Naruto has been holding back.

Sonofsparda: Lol thanks for pointing those out. As far as cutting the words off, it's the only way I can think of to show that one character is interrupting another. And I plan to continue this story for a long time to come.

Blueberry King: Grammar is not a strong point of mine lol. I have friends read my work over now so they can catch any mistakes I make.

Red-volpe: Why thank you! Now you'll get to see a little bit of Satsu's power and his own unique style of fighting! As for his curse mark, I won't actually show you that 'til later. Sorry :-P lol.

SunouNeozaki: I actually never read Samurai Deeper Kyo. Thanks for giving me a new manga to get into! And I think females are actually stronger than men because they're more emotional creatures and emotion tends to augment strength lol.

Thanks to god of all for the encouragement!

* * *

_Match 2! The Berserker's Curse!_

* * *

"I can't believe Hinata-chan lost!" shouted Ko as the medic-nin carried the princess off the field so she could be treated.

"I can," said Hiashi. "Hinata is as skilled as Hinode-chan was at her age, but Naruto is just as unpredictable as his own mother. You never could predict what Uzumaki Kushina would do in battle."

Neji watched Naruto intently as he thought, '_If he beat Hinata-chan, I wonder how he'd fare against me?_'

* * *

"Whoa, Naruto was holding back in that fight?" shouted Choji.

"WAIT?!?! IF HE WAS HOLDIN' BACK HERE, THAT MEANS HE WAS HOLDIN' BACK AGAINST ME!!!" shouted Kiba, much to the others' consternation.

"It's not as if he was this strong a month ago," replied Shino.

"So you noticed how much his strength increased to, Shino-kun?" asked Kiokure as he watched Naruto leave the arena. "I thought maybe I was wrong, but Naruto does possess unusual chakra."

"Who fights next?" asked Ino as she took a sip of her lemonade.

Sakura looked up at the electronic board and replied, "Satsu and that puppet guy!"

* * *

Naruto dragged his sore limbs up the stairs. Using the Makai no Ooi always left him tired and it would take awhile for his limbs to recalibrate themselves. Satsu and Haku greeted Naruto at the top of the stairs and helped him to his seat.

"I'm impressed Naruto!" exclaimed Haku as Naruto plopped into his seat. "Truth be told, I kinda thought Hinata was going to win."

"Where you holding back?" asked Satsu. Naruto's confused look only served to agitate Satsu. "Where you holding back when you fought Hinata? It's a yes or no question!"

Haku flinched at Satsu's tone; she knew what was happening. Naruto looked at Satsu and said, "Yeah, I was. I didn't want to kill her."

"Hmph," was all Satsu said as he rubbed his chest and made his way to the arena. '_If he was holding back, then Naruto might be as strong as me or Sasuke now. This is bullshit! I won't let his power eclipse my own!_'

Haku watched the blonde walk away and thought, '_Satsu is losing it again. The last time he did that, he nearly killed all of us! I'm actually scared for his opponent._'

* * *

"Match two will begin now! Representing Sunagakure no Sato is the eldest son of the Yondaime Kazekage, Sabaku no Kankuro!" The crowd cheered as a member of Suna's royal family walked out onto the field.

"And hailing from Konoha, the heir of the Toppyoushimonai Clan, Toppyoushionai Satsu!" Instead of cheering like they did for Kankuro, the crowd murmured as Satsu strode out onto the field.

* * *

"Wow, talk about harsh," said Sakura. She turned to Kiokure and asked, "Do you know why the crowd's acting like this?"

"I believe I can shed some light on the situation." The Genin looked up to see Satsu's grandfather standing in the aisle beside them. Kiokure scooted closer to Sakura to make room for the older man.

"Our clan was once a member of the Clan Council. The Toppyoushimonai were feared as much as the Namikaze, Uchiha, Hyuuga, or Masurao Clans. Our warriors were powerful; our kekkei genkei allowed us to read minds, making us invaluable assets to Konohagakure.

"Then, Satsu's father came along, my youngest son. He disgraced the clan by committing despicable acts, and he was banished by the Sandaime. My clan turned against me when I betrayed my son's location. They wanted him to replace me because he was powerful, but I knew that type of power would be too dangerous to entrust to him.

"My son escaped from the village, and my clan was willing to chase after him. The Sandaime was forced to do something he never forgave himself for: he tasked the Yondaime to exterminate my clan, sparing just me [_**1**_].

"The Yondaime was quick, too quick for us to read his mind. Within five minutes, everyone lay dead at his feet. He had only one Toppyoushimonai left: my grandson. Minato could not bring himself to kill the infant boy, and left him alive. His mission ended in failure, and your friend was allowed to live. Needless to say, the name Toppyoushimonai is synonymous with traitor nowadays."

"Whoa," said Kiba as he stroked Akamaru's head. "What was your son's name, Toppoushionai-sama?"

"Please, call me Jun-san," the older man said, ignoring the Inuzuka's question.

Akamaru began to shudder and barked in the direction of an ANBU agent mulling about near them. '_So you sensed it too, boy?_' thought Kiba. '_He doesn't belong!_'

* * *

"Match two, begin!" shouted Chuuko as he leapt away.

Satsu wasted no time activating the Ganjuomoi. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Katon: Komaki Kasuihi (_Fire Release: Small Fire Stream_)[_**2**_]!" A stream of fire spewed from the blonde's mouth as it tried to engulf Kankuro.

The puppeteer narrowly avoided the fire, but Satsu was ready for him. Completing a long string of hand seals, Satsu shouted, "Katon Ninpou: Hibarashi (_Fire Ninja Art: Running Fire_)[_**3**_]!"

A ring of flames burst to life around Kankuro. Satsu hadn't stopped stringing together hand seals and shouted, "Fuuton: Kami Oroshi (_Wind Release: Godly Wind from the Mountains_)[_**4**_]!"

Wind swirled around Kankuro and the fire wrapped around him, forming a twister of pure flames. The twister constricted, setting his body aflame.

* * *

"Damn, Satsu is crazy strong!" shouted Kiba as he rubbed a riled Akamaru's fur.

"The truth is that this fight must end soon," Jun said as he stroked his beard.

Choji swallowed a mouthful of chips and asked, "Why? It looks like he's winning."

Kiokure was eerily silent as he thought about the last time he saw Nai.

* * *

_Kiokure was knocked into a tree for the umpteenth time. These bandits were once trained in the ninja way, and the young Genin could barely keep up with his opponent. He had bruises all over his body, and he hadn't had an opportunity to put on the Eiki no Fukumen._

"_Tired, little boy? You should have known better than to challenge a grown man. Before my village was destroyed, I was a Chuunin. Do you honestly think a Genin can stop me?" the missing-nin shouted._

"_I-I-I gotta try!" shouted Kiokure as he drew a kunai and charged the man. He merely sidestepped the attack and punched Kiokure in his head._

_A primal roar stopped the missing-nin from killing him. A vile creature rammed the ninja, and within seconds tore him to shreds. Kiokure limply looked over to where Satsu and Nai had been fighting. All of their enemies had died in a similar gruesome fashion._

"_Satsu-san! Stop it! You'll kill him!" shouted Nai. Kiokure turned his head toward the creature, who had stopped his savage assault to stare down Nai. The brunette got a good look at the creature, and chills went down his spine._

_The creature had skin the color of blood; hair white as snow; two black, curved horns on either side of its head; and eyes a pure gold. The creature flexed his hand, and in an instant slashed Nai across her chest. Kiokure's eyes slowly closed; one last thought crossed his mind._

'Satsu is going to kill me._'_

* * *

"I can tell by your face you know what will happen," Jun declared as he watched Satsu grab his chest in pain.

"What happened to him to make him that way?" asked Kiokure as he watched his friend struggle.

"His father," Jun said before making a hand seal.

* * *

Kankuro was hiding behind the fallen tree, trying to catch his breath. Satsu was getting stronger and stronger with each passing minute, and with all the fire he was slinging, Kankuro couldn't even use his puppet.

'_Damn, I have to think of a way to stop him!_' thought Kankuro.

"There is no way to stop me!" shouted Satsu as he grabbed Kankuro's shirt and punched him in the face. He flung the older boy across the stadium and began making hand seals. He held his hand out in front of him and a black orb appeared in his hand.

"Man'estu no Ju—" Satsu screeched in pain as his jutsu failed and grabbed his head. Voices began to appear in his head. So many voices, like a tsunami overtaking a small boat. Kankuro felt his body rise off of the ground. He kept rising and rising until he was thirty feet in the air. Kankuro tried his hardest to move his arms, but it was impossible.

'_How the fuck am I gonna--_' began Kankuro, but he never came to a solution. He just plummeted into the ground below.

* * *

"Damn, that looked like it hurt," muttered Shikamaru as Kankuro crashed into the ground.

"No shit, Sherlock," replied Haku as Satsu dropped to his knees. She reached into her pouch and pulled out a senbon needle. '_I have to time this right or he's gonna go berserk,_' she thought.

* * *

Chuuko appraised the heap of limbs that was Kankuro. "Eh, looks like his legs broke, and he fractured his skull," he muttered to himself as he poked the unconscious puppeteer with a stick. "Winner, Toppyoushimonai Satsu!"

* * *

Next Time: _It's Haku's turn to fight and she's going up against Konoha's laziest ninja. But when Shikamaru starts pulling crazy strategies out of his ass, will Haku's superior speed and strength actually help her?_

* * *

1- Pay attention to this. The Sandaime's actions with the Toppyoushimonai Clan changed the course of history for another clan…

2- Katon: Komaki Kasuihi (_Fire Release: Small Fire Stream_): The user engulfs the target with a continuous stream of fire. This technique is not very effective against living targets, but is great against wood or paper.

3- Katon Ninpou: Hibarashi (_Fire Ninja Art: Running Fire_): This jutsu will create jets of fire that can be manipulated into several forms before striking the target.

4- Fuuton: Kami Oroshi (_Wind Release: Godly Wind from the Mountains_): This technique creates a vortex of wind to blast at a target.

5- Oni Bijutsu: Kurokugi (_Demon Art: Black Nails_):The user releases yokai into the ground to fire off large nails from the ground.

* * *

Sorry this chapter…well, sucks. My girlfriend of three years just broke up with me. I moved to another state and even though I'm still close to home, I'm not always able to see her so…yeah. Still looking for an artist to draw my characters. Please, bring me some happiness. D=


	29. Chuunin Exams XVII

Digitalflame192: Complicatin' shit. It's my specialty according to all who know me lol.

WooHoo: I love cliffhangers bro lol. And I rewrote that chapter six times trying to make it right.

Hakureisaiga: I'll check your stories and if I really like 'em, I'll give you a commercial slot in my chapters lol.

Rezuvious: I screwed up on that. I dunno why I thought a kilometer was much bigger than a mile. My bad. Oh, and you're my 100th reviewer!!!

Thanks to xxll-laurenxx, RasenShuriken92 (hope the wait was worth it), Dalaion, and blackcat x for the encouragement!_ (break)_

_

* * *

_

Match 3! Neptune's Maiden and the Devil's Tactician!_

* * *

_The crowd booed as Satsu fell forward and passed out from the strain of the curse. Jun appeared in a swirl of leaves and picked up Satsu. "Chuuko-san, I'm formally withdrawing my foolhardy grandson from this tournament. He's not healthy enough to participate."

Chuuko merely nodded; being a member of the ANBU and a student of Minato's, he knew what was going on within Satsu's own body. "Jiraiya-sama is still in the village; he can help." Jun merely nodded and vanished.

* * *

Haku placed the senbon back in her pouch as she sighed in relief. '_I didn't wanna have to kill him, but he did ask if he lost control again,_' she thought as she pulled two aquamarine chopsticks out of her pouch and tied up her long hair. Her match was next and she didn't need her hair screwing up things.

"You ready to fight a lame ass like Shikamaru?" asked Naruto. He had regained some of his strength during Satsu's fight, and most of his wounds were healed.

"Hey!" shouted Shikamaru.

"What? We both know she'll kick your ass," replied Naruto.

"Shall we get going?" Haku said as she pulled out her Kiri Hunter-nin mask.

"Oh, cool!" Shikamaru said as he watched her put the mask on. "Where'd you get that from?"

"It used to be my father's," Haku replied as she leapt into the arena.

_

* * *

_Kiba and Akamaru came out of the bathroom and ran down the hall to get back to their seats before the next match began. The wild boy bumped into an ANBU and fell backward.

"Hey, watch where the hell you're going!" shouted Kiba as he looked at the ANBU.

"Sorry kid," replied the ANBU. Akamaru began barking like crazy and bit the ANBU's arm. The ANBU flicked the dog off of his arm and charged his hand full of chakra. He hit the dog and knocked him out.

"Hey! What the—" Kiba began, but couldn't finish his sentence. The man slammed his palm into his stomach, knocking him out as well.

"Well, that's one less nuisance to worry about," the ANBU said as he dragged Kiba and Akamaru into a nearby supply closet.

_

* * *

_Jikoken'o laughed heartily as the crowd's restlessness increased. "Quite a rowdy bunch, eh Namikaze?"

"You would be too after that fight. Toppyoushimonai Satsu didn't exactly put on a stellar performance. The match was pretty much one-sided."

"Only one more match and you can see just how strong my secret weapon is."

"Funny, I thought he was your son," replied Minato.

_

* * *

_Kakashi drank from his canteen as Sasuke returned from scouting. "The village is only an hour away. With your Kaiten, we can make it in half that time," said Sasuke.

"My Kaiten is all burnt out. If I use it anymore, my eyes will begin to deteriorate," replied Kakashi. "I want us to split up. They'll be chasing after me; you go and get to the village and warn Gai-san. He'll let the Hokage know what's going on."

Sasuke nodded and vanished in a swirl of leaves.

_

* * *

_"Hey Naruto, I'm not feeling so hot. Maybe I should just forfeit and get it over with," said Shikamaru as he began to raise his hand to forfeit.

Naruto had other plans for the laziest Konoha-nin. He grabbed the slacker by his ponytail and tossed him into the arena. "UWAAAAAAAAAH!!!" he screamed as he landed on his head.

"Awww………fucking demon," groaned Shikamaru as he rubbed the lump on his head.

The crowd was not impressed by Shikamaru's less than graceful entrance into the arena. "HEY!!! HURRY UP AND GET THIS SHITTY FIGHT OVER WITH!!!" one spectator shouted as he threw his sake bottle at Shikamaru, beaning him right in his head.

'_These troublesome bastards don't even have the decency to throw good sake at me. This smells like the crap that Obito-sensei drinks,_' thought Shikamaru as he stood up on his feet.

"I want you to know that I don't enjoy hitting women," Shikamaru said. "But I'll pretend you're a dude [_**1**_] and win, I guess."

"You're such a smooth talker, Shikamaru-kun," replied Haku with a roll of her eyes under her mask. "And what makes you think you'll win anyway?"

"Uh, nothing really. I'm just stalling for time," Shikamaru sheepishly replied.

"Then you have to be faster than you are!" shouted Haku as she stabbed the boy from behind.

_

* * *

_"Damn, Haku is fast!" shouted Asuma proudly. Obito laughed at his rival's antics.

"I've been training Shikamaru for this exact match. He won't lose so easy. I think you're getting too excited. Kurenai-san tells Rin-chan you tend to do that."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!?!"

_

* * *

_Haku spun around and blocked a slash from Shikamaru's own kunai. She stabbed him again, and watched as his Kage Bunshin explode. "Wanna know a lil' secret, Haku-chan? I don't really care if I become a Chuunin or not. But I'll be damned if I lose to a girl. Especially a pretty one.

"Hmph! Take this! Mizu no Yaiba (_Sword of Water_)[_**2**_]!" Haku gathered the moisture in the air and formed a katana. She twirled it between her fingers before throwing it at Shikamaru. The slacker merely vanished, allowing the blade to embed itself in the wall of the arena.

Haku made a quick set of hand seals, spun around, and shouted, "Mizu no Tatsumaki (_Tornado of Water_)[_**3**_]!"

The sword broke down and wrapped itself around Haku's body. Shikamaru had just materialized out of thin air in an in an attempt to stab Haku. He crashed into the spinning water shield and was flung across the arena and crashed into the opposite wall. He dissolved into a mass of shadows and reformed on the ground.

"Heh. You're good at running away. What do you call that technique?" asked Haku.

"Kageton: Ranna-kage (_Shadow Release: Shadow Runner_)[_**4**_]. I can move through the Kage no Bun'ya [_**5**_] and appear in any shadow."

"Pfft, yeah right. The Kage no Bun'ya is a fairy tale my mommy used to tell me when I was little."

Shikamaru grabbed Haku's throat and said, "Let me show you!" He and Haku sank into the ground.

_

* * *

_Haku was falling into a dark abyss for what felt like an eternity. She finally landed on a mesa made of pure white rocks. "Where am I?" muttered Haku as she looked around to determine her surroundings. The color black extended for as far as her eyes could see.

Snow slowly began to fall as Haku removed her mask. She turned around and a house sat at the far end of the mesa. Haku slowly walked to the house with one thought on her mind. '_This place………it looks a lot like—_'

A scream interrupted her thoughts. The front door of the house exploded and a woman's body was flung from it. She was cut into pieces. Haku placed her hands over her mouth as she watched a man walk out of the house, wielding two bloody katana. He wore a Kirigakure no Sato ANBU outfit that was also drenched in blood. His face was just like Haku's, except his skin was black like the sky. His hair and clothing were white like the rocks.

"Ah, my pretty little girl. I've been waiting for a long time for this," the man said as he twirled his katana around.

"T-T-Tou-san!" shouted Haku.

_

* * *

_"What the hell did Shikamaru just do?" shouted Asuma as he watched the fight nervously.

"My student is very good at planning. I presume that's how he and his partners survived the second exam. He is after all the son of the Boushin no Akuma (_Tactician of the Devil_). Shikamaru may not have many jutsu in his arsenal, but he's a master at stringing together his own jutsu, others' jutsu, and other's insecurities to win his battles."

"Just how smart is this kid?" asked Asuma as he nervously watched the scene before him.

"Last I remember, his IQ was between 200 and 260."

"YOU HAVE TO BE SHITTING ME!!!"

"HEY YOU!!! THE ONE WITH THE NICOTINE BREATH!!! SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!"

_

* * *

_"D-D-Daddy," Haku muttered as she tried to move away from her father.

"Why are you scared, Haku-chan? Daddy doesn't want to cause you any pain. I just want to cut your head off. That won't hurt if you just let me do it!"

Haku's dad swung his two katana with amazing speed at Haku's head. The girl moved out of the way and tried to summon her Mizu no Yaiba, but it wouldn't materialize.

"Trying to use you kekkei genkei to save you, bitch? In the Kage no Bun'ya, water, fire, earth, wind, and lightning don't exist. Your mutation won't protect you here!" he shouted as he tried to stab Haku.

"I know what you're trying to do," Haku whispered. She grabbed the katana with her bare hands and watched as her red blood began to spill. "And it won't work Shikamaru!"

The black and white surroundings began to crack like a piece of broken glass. Within seconds she was back in the arena, clutching the business end of Shikamaru's kunai.

"What did you do to me?" she asked.

"I used my Kagemane no Jutsu (_Shadow Imitation Technique_) to trap you while I explained what Kage no Bun'ya is, and then transferred my Magen: Osore no Jutsu (_Demonic Illusion: Fear Technique_)[_**6**_]."

Haku punched Shikamaru in the face with all of her strength, knocking him across the arena. "If you ever do that again, I will kill you by slowly draining all of your bodily fluids through the pores of your skin!"

Haku's eyes turned blue as she began to gather the moisture in the air. She made hand seals and shouted, "Hyoton: Tsubame Fubuki (_Ice Release: Swallow Snow Storm_)[]!"

The moisture took the shape of small birds and began to pursue Shikamaru with tremendous speed. "Heh, you just don't listen, do you?" quipped Shikamaru as he prepared to use his Ranna-kage. Suddenly, his eyes widened and the lazy-nin leapt up into the air to avoid the birds that tried to hit him from behind. Shikamaru twisted his body in the air to avoid a third set of birds.

"My kekkei genkei allows me to completely manipulate all water and wind. I can gather miniscule drops of water and freeze it. As long as there is moisture in the air, I can attack you."

To prove her point, Haku created birds and attacked Shikamaru from every angle. Shikamaru was soon covered in a thin layer of frost. Haku prepared to rush after Shikamaru, but suddenly leapt back as his shadow tried to catch her own.

"K-K-Kagemane n-n-no J-J-Jutsu," stammered Shikamaru as he held his hands in the seal he need for his technique.

"You never cease to amaze me Shikamaru. You made the hand seals for your jutsu, even though I was barraging you with my own. You almost caught me, too.

"But now I've found a weakness to your Kageton Jutsu. You can only stretch your own shadow a certain distance; and you can't manipulate other shadows. As long as I stay out of your range, which I believe is about a foot and a half, you can't touch me."

Shikamaru merely kneeled down and clasped his hands so that only the tips of his fingers were touching each other. '_There has to be a way to win!_' he thought.

_

* * *

_Obito's eyes widened as he watched Shikamaru continue to clasp his hands. "What the hell is your kid doing?" asked Asuma as he too watched the slacker.

"It's a habit of his. He likes to take things slow. He's actually enjoying this as if it was a game of Shogi or Go. Whenever Shikamaru-kun is backed into a corner, he does that. It means he's working out some type of strategy."

"That doesn't mean anything though, right?"

"Well, we play Shougi and Go a lot and I always back him into a corner. He does this, and in a few turns, I've lost horribly. In the entire four months I've been his sensei, I haven't won a single game against him." Obito sipped his lemonade and finished, "Looks like he's ready to go."

_

* * *

_Shikamaru unclasped his hands and reached into his pouch to pull out a kunai. "Oh no you don't!" shouted Haku as she made a one handed seal. "Hyoton: Onbanhi (_Ice Release: Ice Disk_)[_**8**_]!"

The moisture formed a small disc of ice. Haku grabbed it and flung it at Shikamaru with tremendous speed. Shikamaru tried to throw the kunai, but ended up throwing it high into the air as he dove into a nearby shadow to escape the disk.

Haku manipulated the disc's flight pattern and sent it around the stadium, searching for Shikamaru. Suddenly, the disc froze and made a beeline straight for Haku! The speed of the disc was too much for the ice maiden to move away, so she destroyed it. Her eyes widened and she bent over to the side as the previously thrown kunai buried itself in the ground next to her. Haku quickly dropped to the ground and rolled away as Shikamaru's shadow attempted to grab her.

"I see you figured out my plan," said Shikamaru's voice.

Haku whipped her head around quickly, trying to find him. '_The coward must be still hiding in the shadows,_' thought Haku.

"I thought my shadow would stretch a bit more so I could catch you, but you're too damn fast. Good thing I had an insurance plan!"

From her right, the shadow of the fallen tree stretched out to grab Haku. At the same time, the shadow of the kunai also stretched out toward the ice maiden.

'_Damn it!_' thought Haku as other shadows around the stadium all began to grab her. '_What is this kid? To be able to control these shadows this way is unreal! I'm gonna have to use that jutsu!_'

Haku began making a long string of hand seals and shouted, "Hyoton: Hyouki (Ice Release: Ice Age)[_**9**_]!"

Ice rushed from Haku's position and began to cover the ground around her. Haku began to make more hand seals and shouted, "Hyoton: Kokuryu Bofusetsu (_Ice Release: Black Dragon Blizzard_)[_**10**_]!"

The ice cracked and formed the head of a black, oriental dragon. Haku hopped on top of the dragon and closed her eyes. Suddenly, she opened them and shouted, "Found you!"

The dragon roared and charged to the fallen tree and smashed into it, causing the tree to freeze and shatter. Shikamaru was flung from the shadows of the tree and rolled across the arena, his back covered in ice.

"I finally figured out how your jutsu works," Haku said smugly as she gracefully landed on the ground. "The Ranna-kage will fail if I destroy the source of the shadow your hiding in, right?"

Shikamaru slowly rose to his feet and stammered in reply, "Y-Y-Yeah. B-B-But h-h-how d-d-did y-y-you f-f-find m-m-me?"

"I theorized that in order for you to make a quick getaway, you would leave an opening in the shadow you were hiding in. So I used my kekkei genkei to sense for your sweat."

"My sweat?"

"It would be the hottest moisture in the arena. Haven't you noticed that it's been getting colder and colder?"

Shikamaru's eyes widen as he realized he could see his own breath. "You've been chilling the air so you could find me!"

"So now I can defeat you!" shouted Haku as she prepared to chop Shikamaru in his neck. Suddenly, she froze and couldn't move at all. "N-N-No way! My body…"

"…Is mine to control," replied Shikamaru with a smirk. He pulled his actual body out of Haku's shadow and dispelled his Kage Bunshin. "I created a clone of myself to draw you into a false sense of security so you would get close enough to me so I could trap you."

Shikamaru grabbed his last kunai and held it to Haku's throat. She smiled under her mask as she thought, '_I finally met another person who can beat me. First was Naruto-kun, and now you Shikamaru-kun. I have great respect for you and will gladly surrender to you._'

"Masurao-san, I surrender."

Haku's eyes widened as she shouted, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Truth is, the Ranna-kage burns through my chakra quick and I can barely stand. I won't be able to fight in the next match, so I'm surrendering," replied Shikamaru.

"Kid's right, Haku," said Chuuko. "One more jutsu today, and he'll die." The old man coughed and shouted, "Winner, Momoichi Haku!"

_

* * *

_Next Time: _The time is here. Sasuke finally made it into the village and it's him and Gaara. I have no clue what Sasuke's gonna do but his new jutsu might help out!_

_Match 4! Thousand Bird Symphony!_

_

* * *

1- _A little play on the whole controversy around Haku's gender.

2- Mizu no Yaiba (_Sword of Water_): A technique that utilizes water to create a sword. The sword can be wielded in the normal fashion, allowing the ninja to cut and stab like a normal blade. This sword can also go through most fire jutsu.

3- Mizu no Tatsumaki (_Tornado of Water_): A technique that utilizes water to create a spinning water vortex around the user. The water vortex acts both as a barrier and an attack mechanism. The power of the vortex is enough to knock an opponent unconscious.

4- Kageton: Ranna-kage (_Shadow Release: Shadow Runner_): A technique that allows the user to slip into his own shadow and reappear anywhere there are shadows.

5- Kage no Bun'ya is a realm of pure shadows that exist between this world and Hell. It can only be accessed by using the Ranna-kage to enter a shadow. Only the Nara clan can travel through the Kage no Bun'ya without getting lost in the abyss of shadows.

6- Magen: Osore no Jutsu (_Demonic Illusion: Fear Technique_): The user makes the target see their greatest fear. While the target is paralyzed with fear, the user can sneak up and kill them.

7- Hyoton: Tsubame Fubuki (_Ice Release: Swallow Snow Storm_): This jutsu creates a cluster of ice needles in the shape of miniature swallows, which the user then throws at the opponent. These needles can change direction in midair and will maim the opponent with their sharp wings.

8- Hyoton: Onbanhi (_Ice Release: Ice Disk_): This jutsu turns the moisture particles in the air into an ice disk. They can be hurled with tremendous force at a target and are hard to dodge because of their transparency. They can also be strung together to spy on areas. They can also be used defensively, creating highly durable shields or disks to stand on to hover in the air.

9- Hyoton: Hyouki no Jutsu (_Ice Release: Ice Age Jutsu_): This jutsu is often called the Amaterasu of Hyoton. The user covers everything in his line of vision with ice. The amount of chakra he possesses determines the amount of ice he produces.

10- Hyoton: Kokuryu Bofusetsu (_Ice Release: Black Dragon Blizzard_): An Ice Release technique formed from already existing ice. After forming the needed hand seal, the user will thrust his arm to send out a black ether-like dragon to strike his opponent. As it flies through the air it will begin to turn. When it hits the target it will use its motion to launch the opponent high into the air.

_

* * *

_

I still need an artist folks. If you're interested, PM me and I'll give you my email so we can get something going.


	30. Chuunin Exams XVIII

_Match 4! Thousand Bird Symphony!_

_

* * *

_"ARGH!!! WHAT A WASTE OF TALENT!!!" screamed Ino as the medic-nin took Shikamaru away. "THIS FIGHT COULD HAVE MADE HIS CAREER!!!"

Choji smiled as he caught the eye of his exhausted best friend and thought, '_Rest well, buddy._'

_

* * *

_"WHEN I SEE THAT LITTLE BASTARD, I'M GONNA KNOCK HIS TEETH OUT!!!" screamed Obito.

"What do you mean?" asked Asuma. "He fought with all of his strength. Shouldn't you be proud?"

"Shikamaru purposely dragged this battle out so he would have an excuse not to fight anymore after it!" shouted Obito.

Asuma began to laugh and replied, "Funny. I remember you doing that when we were in the Academy.

"But still, Shikamaru's intelligence has to be a valuable asset to your squad. If this was a mission, he would have succeeded the moment he caught Haku-chan. Shikamaru is more ready to be a Chuunin than any of the other Genin in our village."

Obito's eyes widened and he smiled. "I guess that means I'm a better sensei than you, huh?"

At that moment, Zabuza appeared in a swirl of leaves. "Asuma! It's time!"

Asuma cursed and replied, "Already? Oh well, it's been fun Obito. You know your mission, right?"

"Yeah yeah," said Obito. "I'll protect Boss Toad, you have fun for me!"

_

* * *

_Gai shuffled through the streets of Konoha, heading to the stadium. Even though he was still grieving Lee's death, he was still a Konoha-nin, and he had a mission to complete. Gai was reflecting on his time with the young boy, and failed to notice the teenage boy he crashed into.

"I'm sorry kid," said Gai quietly as he helped the boy up. "I've been distracted as of…………late." Gai stared at the boy in shock and tears began to fall.

From a nearby tree, a woman watched him and whispered, "The lotus blooms once more." She then dissolved into water.

_

* * *

_"WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE NEXT FIGHT!!!"

"WHERE'S THE UCHIHA?!?!?!"

The crowd began to shout Uchiha over and over as Chuuko nervously looked up at Minato for guidance. '_What the hell should I do sensei?_'

_

* * *

_Up in the Kage booth, Shikan leaned over and whispered into Minato's ear. The young Kage nodded and said, "Go join the others, Shikan-san."

The officer nodded and vanished in a swirl of leaves. "What was that about?" grunted Jikoken'o.

"Between you and me, there are rumors that an attack will be made on the Sandaime Hokage today. I'm just putting extra security on him is all."

Jikoken'o said nothing more. "I hope Sasuke-kun arrives soon. The crowd might start to riot if he doesn't," Minato nonchalantly said.

_

* * *

_Gaara growled in anger as he thought, '_What is taking Uchiha so long?_'

**Maybe he realized that we will feast on his blood and he has decided to flee while he can. Of course, no place is safe from me.**

'_I refuse to allow you to manipulate me into killing unnecessarily anymore._'

**Who are you kidding, bastard? All you are good for is killing. Everyone knows that; your brother and sister, your father, even Yashamaru knew it.**

"**Shut up!**" screamed Gaara. Everyone in the arena heard him, and an eerie silence fell over the arena.

**Did I strike a nerve, Gaara?**

'_I will fucking kill you!_'

**Guess what, child? My prey is here.**

_

* * *

_"Hey, Chuuko, am I late?"

Chuuko looked up to see Sasuke standing on the railing of the combatants' box. He was garbed in an all black version of his usual outfit, with metal shin guards and arm guards.

"'Bout damn time," Chuuko replied with a smirk.

Naruto jumped on the railing and slapped the sweet Kami out of Sasuke. "WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!?! YOU'RE SO FUCKIN' LATE!!! I WAS STARTIN' TO THINK YOU WERE SCARED TO FIGHT ME!!!"

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!?! I SHOULD'VE KNOWN YOU MISSED ME!!! I KNOW YOU MUTTER MY NAME AT NIGHT!!!"

"YEA 'CAUSE I'M GIVING YOU THE POUNDING OF A LIFETIME!!!"

"You're such a queen Naruto."

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT AND YOU KNOW IT!!!"

"Oy! Thelma and Louise! Mind saving this for your bedroom so we can continue the tournament?" shouted Chuuko so that the most awaited match of the day could get started.

Completely ignoring him, Sasuke asked Naruto, "So did you beat Hinata-chan?"

"Yeah, it wasn't easy though," replied Naruto.

"Heh, what did you honestly espect?"

Naruto's smile faded and he said, "Don't lose to Gaara, Sasuke."

"I won't," replied the emo as he prepared to leap into the arena.

"Hey, Uchiha!" Sasuke turned his head to look at Naruto. "I want to fight you, too!" The two smiled as Sasuke leapt into the arena. Gaara followed suit.

_

* * *

_Jikoken'o smiled widely and thought, '_Finally, it will begin!_'

_

* * *

_"Now, the final match of the first round of the Chuunin Exams will begin! Sabaku no Gaara of Sunagakure no Sato versus Uchiha Sasuke of Konohagakure no Sato! Begin!" shouted Chuuko as he wasted no time escaping the battleground.

Gaara wasted no time sending a stream of sand toward the emo-nin. Sasuke leapt away quickly, and prepared to make hand seals, but was shocked by what Gaara did next.

The sand froze in the air, and Gaara clutched his temples in pain. "I won't," he muttered to himself.

**Sadly, you do not really have a choice. Burijji Kara no Ichi Kotan Dzuki Betsu (**_Bridge From One Soul to Another_**)[**_1_**]!**

Gaara stood eerily still and then began laughing maniacally. "**It has been a long time since I actually tasted blood. I nearly forgot that pleasure!**"

_

* * *

_Temari gasped as she watched Gaara. '_What's happened to you, little brother? I've never seen you like this before a fight. Is this kid really that much of a challenge?_'

_

* * *

_"Gaara" licked his lips and said, "**Come my child. Let me spill your blood!**"

"Not likely!" shouted Sasuke as he flung two kunai at "Gaara". The sand automatically shot up to block the weapons. The sand began to contort into a humanoid shape. "Suna Bunshin, attack!"

The clone used the sand in its torso to form a large hand to grab the Uchiha, who leapt high into the air. He formed several hand seals and shouted, "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (_Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique_)!"

A massive fireball consumed the clone and turned it into a statue of glass. Sasuke landed right next to the statue and, using his superior speed, punched "Gaara" in the throat. His hand became trapped, but Sasuke punched the head of the Tanuki with all his strength, causing it to break apart and free his hand.

"Gaara" reformed his head and shouted, "**Is this all the great Uchiha Clan has to offer me?**"

"Katon: Hoenka (_Fire Release: Flame Flower_)!" shouted Sasuke as he leapt into the air and fired off three large fireballs in rapid succession toward the Tanuki. He raised his arms, and the sand rose to protect him from the attack, or rather the diversion. Sasuke reappeared on "Gaara's" left and tried to stab him with a kunai.

"**You just do not learn do you, you fool?**" shouted "Gaara" as he quickly summoned the sand in between him and Sasuke. The Uchiha merely smirked and reappeared on the right side of Gaara and kicked him, knocking him across the arena and causing his Suna no Yoroi to crack.

"Humph. Your Suna no Yoroi isn't all it's cracked up to be," said Sasuke nonchalantly as the demon picked himself off of the floor. "You're not Gaara, are you?"

"**I was wondering if you would figure it out sometime soon.**"

"Was it Gaara who killed Lee, or was it you controlling him like you are now?"

"**You truly are a genius. Gaara is too weak; he does not enjoy leisurely killing. So I need to take control of him from time to time to get my taste of blood.**"

"So what should I call you?"

"**Shukaku!**" The Tanuki Lord used the pause in combat to attempt a sneak attack on Sasuke's rear, but the emo-nin anticipated the attack and used his unreal speed to get around him. Shukaku quickly sent a stream of sand behind him, but Sasuke weaved around it and kicked him in the face. The Tanuki Lord slid across the arena as Sasuke smirked at his predicament.

"Is this all you have to offer me, Shukaku? I'll rip that armor right off of you!" Sasuke ran around Shukaku and kicked him under his chin. He quickly grabbed the Tanuki and kneed him in the stomach. Sasuke dropped the demon and flipped backward as more sand attempted to grab him.

"**It has been a long time since I had a challenger like you,**" Shukaku said as he licked his lips. "**I almost do not want to kill you.**"

_

* * *

Obito watched in amazement at the speeds that Sasuke was moving. '__I really shouldn't expect anything less from Kakashi. Sasuke-kun is probably the fastest Genin, barring Naruto-kun, of course. But without the Kaiten Me cutting the amount of fatigue all this high-spped maneuvering produces in half, Sasuke-kun is bound to wear out soon._

'_But at the same time, the Ichibi's Suna no Yoroi burns up a lot chakra as well. Sasuke-kun's lucky Shukaku-sama can't access all of his yokai through Gaara-kun's body. At this point, this fight is a matter of who will crash first._

'_But what the hell is Kakashi and Sasuke-kun thinking? He saw what happened to Lee-kun. Taijutsu alone won't beat that damned sand._'

_

* * *

_Shukaku made a hand seal, and all of the sand began to wrap around him.

Sasuke ran towards the ball of sand and attempted to thrust his hand into the small opening in front of Shukaku's face, but the Ichibi sealed the ball up. The Uchiha's hand hit the ball of sand so hard it felt like it was broken.

Inside of the bal, Shukaku chuckled to himself and said, "**It is time for me to finally break free. It is taken me thirteen years to perfect the incantation, but I can now do it. Deniahc ot siht latrom lous…smodeerf tpek yawa morf em…won I llahs kaerb eht snaihc dna maor eht dnal fo eht gnivil!**"

Outside the ball, as Shukaku recited his incantation, Sasuke strung together some hand seals and clutched his right wrist. Lightning began to swirl around his hand, and the sound of thousands of birds began to fill the arena.

_

* * *

_Obito's eyes widened as he recognized the jutsu. '_That's the Chidori! I can't believe Sasuke mastered it in a month! It took Kakashi three years just to stabilize the flow of chakra in it._'

A powerful gust of wind blow around the arena and gold leaves fell all over the arena. Obito quickly pulled out a kunai and thought, '_It's really about to happen!_'

At the same time, feathers began to fall all around the arena. People began to lose consciousness as the Genjutsu worked its magic. Obito scouted around for any of his comrades but could see none. An ANBU lashed out at Obito, who deftly blocked the katana strike and stabbed him in the neck. He failed to notice the second ANBU about to stab him. The chorus of a thousand birds filled the air and Obito felt a tingle crawl up his spine as a slight electrical current ran through his body.

"Sorry, I'm late. I had an unforeseen obstacle delay me."

Obito smiled as he activated his Sharingan. "Better late than never, Hatake Kakashi."

_

* * *

_Sasuke charged the orb with all of his strength and thrust his hand straight through. The sand orb began to destabilize and fell as Sasuke thrust his hand into the Tanuki Lord's chest.

Shukaku's appearance had changed dramatically. He was much taller than Sasuke, about six feet tall. His skin was the color of honey; his eyes were grey like stone and radiated vile evilness and hatred. His bald head was covered with by a turban, and his lower half covered by white pants.

Shukaku could only watch in amazement as he saw a substance so foreign that he could not recognize it.

It was his blood.

_

* * *

_Next Time: _Oh shit! The village is under attack by Suna and Oto! And Shukaku and Sasuke ran off into the Forest of Death! And Dad and Sarutobi-ojiisan are gonna fight Orochimaru! What the hell am I gonna do? I can't save them all!_

_**You do not have to Kit. It is time the Kyuubi no Yoko comes out of retirement.**_

_The War Begins! The Okami Returns!_

_

* * *

_1- Burijji Kara no Ichi Kotan Dzuki Betsu (_Bridge From One Soul to Another_): An ancient Oni Bijutsu used almost exclusively by the Tanuki Demon Clan. The user can connect his soul with another's and slowly wipe out their spirit and eventually control their body.

2- This Ancient Language incantation translates to "Chained to this mortal soul…freedoms kept away from me…now I shall break the chains and roam the Land of the Living!"

_

* * *

_I still need an artist folks. If you're interested, PM me and I'll give you my email so we can get something going.


	31. The Fourth Ninja War I

**Aki6**: Don't feel bad dude. I have to re-read the chapters sometimes too lol.

**The Epitome of Eccentricity**: Wow, that was some review buddy. Um, let's see if I can get everything you touched on:

#1: Shinsheki is a girl lol. When I designed her, she was originally a guy, but I need her as a girl for an upcoming plot idea. And the second Kitsune is named Nenshou.

#2: I was sleepy that night lol.

#3: Yup. They're still dead but they die differently.

#4: Awww shucks. Thanks bro! I always get warm and fuzzy when people say that. And I've finally found my new artist(s)! I'm gonna PM you my e-mail so you can send me some drawings.

* * *

_The War Begins! The Okami Returns!_

* * *

Shukaku stared at his own blood and began shaking. Tears streamed down his face as he screamed out, "**It is my blood!!! No!!!**" He grabbed the arm of Sasuke's that was still plunged in his chest and yanked it out. He made the sand on the ground fill the wound up and it molded with his skin. If the blood was not on his chest, you wouldn't have known the Tanuki was hurt. Shukaku yanked the boy to him and punched him into the ground so hard a small crater formed.

* * *

Kakashi used his chakra saber to slice another rogue ANBU in half. Obito grabbed two of the rogue ANBU, cracked their heads together, and flung them into the air above the arena and made several hand seals. "Katon: Hienda (_Fire Release: Soaring Flame Bullet_)[_**1**_]!"

A massive ball of fire consumed the ANBU, and their ashes were spread with the wind. Naruto sliced another in half from the crown of his head down with the Ierokitsune, and Haku froze three and shattered them.

Obito and Kakashi's backs touched and Obito shouted, "At least it can't get much worse than a few rogue ANBU, right?"

At that exact moment, a giant, three-headed snake burst from the ground beneath the arena and spewed out thousands of Oto-nin. Kakashi slapped his head and screamed at Obito, "YOU HAD TO FUCKING ASK?!?! YOU HAD TO FUCKING ASK!!!"

* * *

Jikoken'o chuckled as the carnage ensued. '_Kabuto-san made his move, I see. Guess it'ssss my turn._'

"Hey, Namikaze." Minato looked at the Kazekage. "Have you ever wondered what it'ssss like to be sssswallowed whole?" Minato leapt out of his throne as Jikoken'o's four bodyguards charged after him. A large one tried to knock the young Hokage down, but Minato proved too fast for him and kicked him in his balls.

Another one pulled out a golden bow and arrow and fired it right at his eyes. Minato grabbed it and threw it at one with a hunched back trying to sneak up on him. He then punched the shortest of the four guards and sent her flying across the Hokage booth.

"I musssst ssssay, I'm impressssssssed Minato. You never fail to dissssappoint."

"You always see combat as a sick game. I bet your getting off on all of this, aren't you?"

"Oh, jusssst a little."

* * *

The giant snake had long since left the arena and was currently overturning buildings in the village, hoping to kill innocents. The ninja, being led by Kabuto, were surprised that they couldn't find anybody in the streets on the busiest day of the village's fiscal year.

"We planned ahead for this Yakushi." Kabuto's head shot up to see Asuma, Rin, Zabuza, Temari, and Baki, as well as a small platoon of Konoha and Suna-nin.

"What the hell Baki?" shouted Kabuto as Gaara's sensei smirked at them.

"We were forewarned of Orochimaru's treachery and that you assassinated our Kazekage. So we secretly aligned ourselves with Konoha while publicly announcing our allegiance to you so we could get close enough to avenge Jikoken'o-sama."

Kabuto smirked and pushed his glasses up. "A double cross. Damn, I can't say I didn't expect that one."

* * *

Orochimaru made the first move, pulling a sword out of his mouth. He raced toward Minato and swung at the Hokage's neck. Minato rolled out of the way, but Orochimaru elongated his arm and brought the blade to the Namikaze's neck.

"Jirobo, Kidomaru, SSSSakon, Tayuya; do it now!" The four bodyguards made a quick set of hand seals and shouted, "Ninpou: Shishienjin (_Ninja Art: Four Violent Flames Battle Encampment_)!" A purple wall of fire surrounded the Hokage box and blocked off escape for the Yondaime.

* * *

"This is bad!" shouted Naruto as he removed his sword from an Oto-nin's head. "I counted about 9,000 ninja just in the arena. There's no telling how many more are here or on the way!"

"Well, I killed about 400 on the way," shouted Kakashi as he beheaded another with his white chakra saber.

"That's good," shouted Haku as she used a Genjutsu to make an Oto-nin kill several of his comrades before killing himself.

"But there was at least 75,000 chasing me."

"This is taking too long!" shouted Obito as he made hand seals. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

A large, blue dragon with a white beard and a massive, obsidian horn wrapped itself around the arena. Obito hopped on its head and rubbed it. "Azulong-sama [_**2**_], it's been a long time since I summoned you for battle."

**That it has. I was beginning to think that your sensei had brought peace to this land, but I see that his endeavor was met with failure.**

"Can you help us, Azulong-sama?" Obito asked solemnly. "My people will die without it."

Azulong snorted and puff of white smoke left his nostrils. **I shall only because the people that reside in Konoha have always looked after my own kind.**

The dragon reared its head back and released a large, golden stream of fire that consumed a large portion of the village. The fire didn't damage any of the buildings, or the Konoha-nin and Suna-nin. Only the Oto-nin felt the true nature of the fire.

"Awesome!" shouted Obito.

**Death is not awesome. I see you still have much to learn.**

* * *

"What's wrong, Shukaku?" Sasuke said with a smirk as he staggered around the carnage of the battlefield.

'_**I cannot fight him here. I have to lure him away,**_' thought Shukaku. He created a massive fist of sand and pounded the Uchiha into a nearby wall. The Tanuki Lord created a platform of sand and floated away from the arena.

Sasuke pried himself out of the wall and screamed after Shukaku, "Don't you even think about it!" He leapt onto the stadium wall, and chased after Shukaku.

* * *

"It'ssss a sssshame. Gaara wassss usssselessssssss," spat Orochimaru as he held Minato close to him.

"Enjoying your cheap feels?" asked Minato nonchalantly.

"You know I'm not. You don't fear me enough."

"I don't fear you at all."

"Thissss issss all your fault, you know."

"How so?"

"Your foolisssshnessssssss hassss caussssed your village to be the ssssource of a war that will rip it to piecccces."

"And you forgot the most important weapon in the village," said Minato with a smirk. "The Will of Fire burns bright in everyone in this village. So long as that Fire burns, we shall not ever die or perish."

"Dear me, you ssssound jusssst like that fool Hiruzen."

"I always hoped this day would come," Minato said with a smile. "I've defeated both Jiraya-sensei and Tsunade-hime in combat, and I've always wanted to test my skills against the strongest of Sanin."

"Well, let ussss hope you chosssse your ssssuccccessssssssor becausssse today, you will die!"

* * *

The battle in the village square was raging full throttle. Zabuza had taken up a fight with Kabuto, who proved to be faster than his cleaver. The ex-Kiri-nin narrowly avoided the medic-nin's chakra scalpel and leapt away.

"I've heard so many stories about the fearsome Momoichi Zabuza, the Kirigakure no Kijin. You're not all that ferocious," said Kabuto with a smirk as he pushed his glasses up. He ducked as Zabuza's meat cleaver went past, trying to embed itself in the medic-nin.

Zabuza used the distraction to run toward Kabuto and make several hand seals. He kicked the silver-haired ninja into the air and shouted, "Suiton: Mizukiri (_Water Release: Water Drill_)[_**3**_]!"

The Kijin leapt into the air after Kabuto, and water from the sewers shot up with him. The water went into Zabuza's hand and began to churn and twist, like a drill. He slammed it into the medic-nin, and watched as the drill of water slammed Kabuto repeatedly all the way back into the earth. Zabuza landed by his cleaver, removed it from the Oto-nin it hit, and prepared to walk away.

"Where do you think you're going, friend?" Zabuza spun around to see Kabuto standing before him unharmed. "You'll find that my kekkei genkei makes me very hard to kill."

* * *

"Obito! Orochimaru trapped the Hokage!" shouted Kakashi as he cut off an Oto-nin's arm, then stabbed him in his liver.

The Uchiha turned his head toward the box and cursed under his breath. "Azulong-sama, can you torch the box?"

**One way to find out. Hang on!**

The dragon uncoiled itself and raced toward the Hokage box. Oto-nin flung all manner of weapons at the dragon to delay him, but they reflected off his diamond-hard scales. The ancient dragon inhaled as deeply as he could, and roared as he released a stream of golden fire so bright the battling ninja had to shield their eyes and so hot that the rocks and metal in the arena began to melt. The fire wrapped around the evil, purple force field, but it held strong.

"Fucking hell!" screamed Obito. An Oto-nin, most likely a Genin, landed on Azulong's head, katana drawn.

"Surrender to the will of Orochimaru-sama, and your pathetic life may be spared!" the man shouted.

In a fit of rage, Obito activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, which resembled a three leaf clover. He turned to the Genin and screamed, "Raiden (_The God of Lightning_)[_**4**_]!"

The Genin screamed as black electricity coursed through his body. He fell off Azulong's head and down into the arena hindreds of feet below.

Haku watched the Genin fall, and realized something was wrong. "Kakashi-san, Sasuke-kun and Shukaku are gone!"

"I can't do anything about that now!" Kakashi shouted as he grabbed a kunai and used both his kunai and saber to split the throats of two more Oto-nin.

Naruto was zipping through the stands, cutting leaving the arms, legs, heads, and blood of Oto-nin in his wake. One Oto-nin barely survived Naruto's onslaught. He weakly grabbed a kunai lying near him and used his last bit of strength to fling the kunai at the boy's back. Just before the kunai could embed itself in Naruto's back, a hand shot out and grabbed it.

"YOSH!!! TO ATTACK A MAN WHO HAS TURNED HIS BACK IS VERY UNYOUTHFUL!!!"

Naruto's eyes widen in shock as he recognized the voice. "B-B-Bushy brows? I thought you died! I saw you die!"

Sure enough, Rock Lee was there in the flesh. He was still wearing the ripped green spandex from his battle with Gaara. "I cannot explain it myself. I just remember being encased in sand, and then waking up in a casket."

"Hate to break up this touching reunion," shouted Gai as he kicked an Oto-nin's neck so hard it snapped off. "But what are we going to do about the Ichibi?"

* * *

Back in the Hokage booth, Orochimaru and Minato were still at a standstill. "Answer me this," said Minato as he looked at the golden embers around the barrier. "I know you aren't the type to act solely on revenge. What do you truly plan to accomplish from going to war with Hi no Kuni?"

"And why sssshould I tell you?"

"I'm going to die here anyway, right? So what does it matter what you tell me?"

"I hate when thingssss don't move. Motion issss sssso much better, wouldn't you agree? If a windmill is sssstopped, issss it worth marveling? I plan to make the windmill move again child, and I'll usssse the crumbling leaf assss the wind to do sssso."

Orochimaru removed his sword from Minato's neck and walked away from him. "Freeing me was a big mistake Orochimaru."

"Don't be misssstaken; I jussst sealed your death!"

* * *

Kakashi, Gai, Naruto, Lee, and Haku had finally killed all of the Oto-nin in the stands. Obito and Azulong were currently engaged in battle with one of the giant snakes.

"Naruto, Lee, Haku, I have a mission for you three. It's an A-rank mission; find Sasuke and get him back here!"

Naruto's body suddenly locked up and he began making the summoning hand seals. He slammed his hands to the ground and summoned Harufuudo.

"_**You always summon me at the worst moments, kit. I was just about to eat the world's largest pig demon!**_"

_**Shut up Harufuudo! I summoned you because I need you to use that incantation I taught you when you were a four-tails.**_

Harufuudo's eyes widened in shock as he listened to his father and viewed the carnage. "_**What the fuck is going on?**_"

_**It is Shukaku! I have to come back to kill him!**_

"_**Okay, hold on a sec.**_" Harufuudo bit his thumb and drew and arcane pattern on Naruto's forehead. "_**Eno ydob…owt sluos…eht luos that sdael llahs peels rof eno yad os eht retho yam dael [**_5_**]!**_"

A bright, green light surrounded Naruto's body. Several minutes went by before the light began to dim. Kyo stood before the ninja and cracked his neck. "_**It feels good to be back.**_"

* * *

Next Time: _**It is time for me to get my revenge. I have waited many long years for the opportunity to kill this vile creature. And while I hunt for Shukaku, Minato is in for the battle of his life. I will be damned if I allow both of Hi's leaders to die here today!**_

_The Okami and the Hokage Protect Their People!_

* * *

1- Katon: Hienda (_Fire Release: Soaring Flame Bullet_): This jutsu is merely a stronger version of the Grand Fireball Technique.

2- New Character Bio (_Azulong_): Azulong is the head of the Dragon Demon Clan. He is an ancient dragon that has existed since the dawn of time. His power knows no bounds; it's believed his golden fire can return life to destroyed landscapes. He can only be summoned by the strongest of ninja.

3- Suiton: Mizukiri (_Water Release: Water Drill_): The user brings up a tsunami of water that goes into his hand. He then kicks up his opponent, then goes up in the air above his opponent, and uses the tsunami water to create a drill. The opponent then gets hammered by the water drill and supposedly dies from it.

4- Raiden (_The God of Lightning_): A technique exclusive to one who possesses the Mangekyo. The user focuses chakra to their left eye and electrocutes the target with black lightning.

5- The incantation translates to "One body…two souls…the soul that leads shall sleep so that the other may lead!"


	32. The Fourth Ninja War II

**Lord of the Morning**: Most of the ninja came in through the snake summons. There's a part where they come out of their mouths. A smaller contingent moved through Hi no Kuni (they're the ninbja that chased Kakashi and Sasuke). And as for the Okami and Hokage, I called them leaders because of Kyo's past influence and the pull that the Hokage has with the daimyo's decisions. I always saw the Hokage as the man behind the daimyo.

Thanks to RasenShuriken 92 and Warrek for the encouragement!

* * *

_The Hokage Protects His People! [__**1**__]_

* * *

Kyo cocked his fist back and punched the wall with minimal effort. The entire wall collapsed, making an exit. "_**Let us go! No time to waste!**_" shouted Kyo as he leapt through the opening. Lee and Haku nodded and leapt after him.

Harufuudo sighed and muttered, "_**Ain't this a bitch?**_" before leaping after his father.

* * *

Minato removed his Hokage hat and robes, revealing the standard Jonin outfit beneath it. "I ssssee you were ready for me," said Orochimaru as he twirled his katana. "I'll tell you ssssomething; never in my wildesssst dreamssss did I think I would be the one to kill you. I had alwayssss hoped you would be my partner."

"When I wanted you to be my sensei, you didn't feel as if I was good enough for you."

"Then prove me wrong, boy! Sakon, put up a second barrier around you and your comrades."

Minato cursed under his breath. '_Damn, I was going to kill one so that Obito and Kakashi could get in here and help me. Guess I'm really going to have to fight here,_' he thought.

"I guess escaping won't be as easy as I would have hoped for."

"It's better thissss way. One of your preccccioussss villagerssss is lessssssss likely to be hurt."

Orochimaru and Minato stared each other down for what seemed to be an eternity. Finally, both men yelled and released their chakra in an explosive burst. The ground beneath them began to crack.

Minato made the first move, tossing a kunai at Orochimaru, and then running after it. He strung together a quick chain of hand seals and shouted, "Kunai Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (_Kunai Shadow Clone Jutsu_)!"

The kunai replicated itself a thousand times over. Orochimaru strung together his own hand seals and shouted, "Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei (_Summoning: Impure Wind Resurrection_)!"

Three large caskets burst from the ground and deflected the kunai from the snake-nin. The doors on the caskets fell off, revealing the Shodaime, Nidaime, and Sandaime Hokages. Unlike his predecessors, the Sandaime was still alive.

"You may have been able to warn SSSSuna of my treachery, but I gained ssssomething from your endeavor assss well. My men caught Hiruzen-ssssenssssei and I plan to usssse him for thissss nifty little jutssssu I learned the other day!"

Orochimaru stabbed Hiruzen in the neck with a kunai wrapped with a seal. He made a quick chain of hand seals and shouted, "Chikara Chuugi no Jutsu (_Forced Loyalty Technique_)[_**2**_]!"

Hiruzen screamed in pain as Orochimaru's chakra flowed through his body. "What the hell are you doing to him you monster?" screamed Minato, his face contorted in anger.

"My jutsu allows me to take control of anyone thanks to the special seal I placed on Hiruzen-ssssenssssei," replied Orochimaru. He licked his lips in delight at Minato's anger and finished, "Oh, and removing the kunai will causssse him to bleed to death. SSSSo you'll have to end his life to free him!"

"Do it, Yondaime-sama!" shouted Hiruzen as he futilely fought Orochimaru's influence. "I'd rather die than be Orochimaru's slave!"

Hiruzen's body suddenly became still; his face became blank. The Shodaime, Senju Hashirama, and the Nidaime, Senju Tobirama, walked over to Hiruzen to make sure the jutsu had worked.

"It's been a long time, eh, Saru (_Monkey_)?" said Tobirama as he slapped Hiruzen on the back.

"You've gotten quite old, Hiruzen-kun," said Hashirama as he viewed the old man with some curiosity.

"I wouldn't wasssste my breath on him," stated Orochimaru matter-of-factly. "I've wiped out all individuality within him. He'ssss a mere mindlesssssss sssservant."

"Fuck…you," panted Hiruzen. Despite himself, Minato smiled at the old man, who allowed the very rare curse to escape his lips. He wasn't as easy to control as Orochimaru had hoped.

Minato summoned a katana and twirled it in his hands. "Shodaime-sama, I never had the opportunity to meet you, but my father told me you were a man wise beyond your years.

"Nidaime-sama, you're the reason I became the Hokage. You're love for our village could never be denied, and I hope that I am half the Hokage you were.

"Sandaime-sama, I learned how to lead from you. No one can deny the political skills you possessed, and if it weren't for you, I would have led Konoha to the brink of destruction.

"You three gave me so much to look forward to, and I'm going to give you something to look forward too: an afterlife free from Orochimaru!"

Tobirama laughed out loud and shouted back to Minato, "You better! I hope you're up to the challenge; we can't exactly go easy on you!"

Orochimaru growled and shouted, "Why don't you old damned basssstardssss kill that fool?"

Hiruzen summoned his staff; Tobirama began to stretch his legs; and Hashirama cracked the joints in his neck in anticipation. Minato dropped into a fighting stance, and made the first move.

* * *

Kyo's group was currently running through the forest at top speed (well, Lee and Haku were). Haku had been spending the trip catching Lee up on everything that had happened since he died. Harufuudo was leading the group with his superior nose, which had picked up Sasuke's scent.

"_**That damned Uchiha! He is too anxious!**_" shouted Kyo.

"_**Hate to interrupt your angry rant old man, but they veered to the right!**_" shouted Harufuudo as he quickly shot off to the right. Kyo, Lee, and Haku shot off after him.

Harufuudo cursed slightly under his breath and shouted to his comrades, "_**A group of humans are chasing us. There are eight…no, nine now; the one who just joined up with the eight is a Jonin-level ninja. The rest are probably Chuunin-level at best.**_"

"They can't have caught up to us this quickly!" shouted Haku.

"_**They have probably been using the smoke from the village to camouflage their scent. Also, Orochimaru is a former Konoha-nin. He probably taught his men how to navigate Hi no Kuni. In any case, Harufuudo-kun and I can handle these ninja with ease.**_"

"But they will slow us down!" shouted Lee. "I'll stay behind and slow them down!"

"Lee-kun, you'll get yourself killed again!" shouted Haku.

"It's a risk I'm willing to take for my home!"

"_**I cannot allow you to do that, kit [**__3__**].**_"

"What would you do in my position, Okami-dono?"

Kyo was quiet for he knew that at Lee's age, he'd have broken ranks by now to kill the ninja pursuing them. "_**You had better not die, kit.**_" Lee stopped running, turned around, and took off toward the Oto-nin.

* * *

Eight Oto-nin stopped in a clearing, trying to determine which way Kyo's group had gone. "Did you figure out which way they went yet?" shouted one of the ninja.

"Gimme a sec, damn it! I'm not a fucking dog, ya know!" the one in the lead shouted.

"Konoha Senpu (_Leaf Whirlwind_)!" A green blur shot out of the bushes and kicked the lead ninja in his chest hard. Lee dropped to the ground, then quickly leapt up and delivered a fatal roundhouse kick to the man's temple. Using the momentum from his first attack, Lee managed to string a second attack in.

"Konoha Daisenpu (_Leaf Great Whirlwind_)!" Lee rolled when he hit the ground and sprung from the ground on his hands toward the next ninja. He kicked him hard in his stomach, then twice in the neck, killing him almost instantly.

Lee grabbed a third ninja and moved him in the way of the barrage of kunai that was intended for him. He ran toward the ninja who threw them and shouted, "Konoha Reppu (_Leaf Gale_)!" Lee merely swept the man off of his feet; his life ended when his medulla oblongata met the business end of a large rock behind him.

With the fifth ninja, Lee got really creative. He picked up the same rock the fourth ninja died on and flung it at the ninja, who nimbly dodged it. Lee used the opportunity to get close and stab him in the jugular with a stray kunai. With a flick of his wrist, the kunai was removed and buried in the heart of the sixth ninja.

Lee engaged the seventh ninja in a flurry of punches, kicks, blocks, and parries. Using his unreal speed, he moved out of the way as the eighth ninja brought his blade to bear on him. The katana passed through the ribs of the seventh ninja, ending his life instantly. Lee kicked the eighth ninja high into the air and got behind him.

"This is where your journey ends," Lee said solemnly as he snapped his neck. The green-clad boy hit the ground on his feet, impressed with his work. "Eight men dead in four minutes. Gai-sensei would be proud!"

"Your sensei should be proud of you." Lee spun around to see the ninth ninja standing in the tree above him. He was a tall, muscular man with no hair on his head, save for his eyebrows. Scars adorned his exposed head and torso; black pants tied with a grey Oto hitai-ite covered his lower half. He had a large, black and blue claymore strapped to his back. "I don't want to kill you, kid. I feel as if I have much I can teach you."

* * *

Harufuudo smiled as he and the others continued after Sasuke. "_**Rocky was successful! He killed eight of the ninja!**_"

"Oh, thank Kami," murmured Haku.

"_**Wait! The ninth one caught up to him! His chakras are huge!**_"

"_**I am going back for Lee!**_" shouted Kyo as he prepared to turn around.

"_**Wait! Another powerful chakra is heading toward Lee! And it's coming from the village! It's not a malicious chakra; it must be reinforcements!**_"

"_**How close are the reinforcements?**_"

"_**About two minutes.**_"

"_**Then, we will keep going and hope that whoever met up with Lee can help him.**_"

* * *

Lee skid across the earth, bruised and battered. This man was way too fast, way too strong. The man hovered over Lee and drew his claymore. "It's a shame I have to kill you. I could have made you a great sensei."

The man brought his claymore down on Lee, but it was blocked by a chokuto. "Tsk, tsk. Didn't _your_ sensei teach you proper killing etiquette? You give your full name to the man you're about to kill so they can boast about your strength in the afterlife."

The Oto-nin laughed and said, "You're very right. My name is Tsuchi Tsumeato [_**4**_]."

"If it means anything to you, my name is Masurao Chuuko."

"Oh ho! You believe that you're gonna kill me?"

"Not a doubt in my mind."

* * *

Minato rushed the three Hokages, and Hiruzen made several hand seals. "Katon: Karyu Endan (_Fire Release: Fire Dragon Napalm_)!"

The fire released covered Minato's half of the Hokage box and his body. '_C'mon, usssse it already!_' thought Orochimaru. Minato materialized before the snake-nin, his Kaiten Me blazing.

"Gokuin no Dojutssssu (_Sealing of the Eye Technique_)[_**5**_]!" Orochimaru slapped a piece of paper with ancient runes onto Minato's forehead. The Yondaime screamed in pain as the runes etched themselves onto his forehead. The Kaiten Me slowly faded away, and his normal eyes returned.

"I've jusssst ssssealed your Kaiten Me up; try and ussse it sssso you can make thissss fight eassssier for me."

Tobirama made a hand seal and shouted, "Suiton: Suishoha (_Water Release: Water Shockwave_)!"

The moisture in the air came together to form a large orb, which the Nidaime sent toward the Yondaime. Minato leapt out of the way, but Tobirama was prepared for that. He changed his hand seal, and the orb exploded, sweeping Minato up in a torrent of water.

Tobirama made a third hand seal and shouted, "Suiton: Suiryudan (_Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet_)!" The water formed into a large dragon and shot itself toward the soaked Yondaime.

Minato made hand seals of his own and shouted, "Fuuton: Sumiyaka Butoukai (_Sound Ball_)[_**6**_]!" A large ball of wind hit the dragon head on and absorbed the water around it, turning into a monsoon within the sphere. The storm sped along the ground toward the four ninja.

Hashirama made quick hand seals and shouted, "Mokuton: Jyukai Koudan (_Wood Release: Forest Genesis_)!" A forest sprouted right in the Hokage Box, and several dense trees absorbed the brunt of Minato's attack. Roots sprang out of the ground around Minato and wrapped him up quite easily.

"You're in quite a bind, Yondaime-sama," remarked Hashirama as Minato tried to wiggle his way free. "I'm curious to see if you'll free yourself from my plants."

"Oh yeah? Let's try this out! Fuuton: Kamisorikaze (_Wind Release: Razor Wind_)[_**7**_]!" The wind around Minato surged forward, cutting the roots and heading toward the Hokages. Hashirama flicked his wrist, and a large tree sprouted from the ground to absorb the attack. Minato had already made his way around the tree and finished a short chain of hand seals.

"Fuuton: Bakuhatei (_Wind Release: Air Blast_)[_**8**_]!" Minato exhaled a large quantity of air and blew the four men toward the wall of purple fire.

Orochimaru made quickly made hand seals and shouted, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" A large, grey snake materialized behind the ninja and hit the flames before they could, causing them to drop just beyond it.

Minato wasted no time running toward them. He tried to get past Hiruzen, who stopped him with a hard punch to the gut. The Yondaime threw his blade at Orochimaru before exploding in a plume of smoke. Orochimaru raised his own blade and knocked Minato's katana aside. The katana transformed into Minato, who was holding a spinning yellow orb of chakra.

"Raiton: Rasengan no Seken (_Lightning Release: Spiraling Sphere of the Earth_)[_**9**_]!" Minato thrust his palm at Orochimaru's face, but Hashirama leapt in the way. He screamed in pain as lightning coursed through his body, and his cellular structure began to destabilize.

"Heh, looks like you got me, Yondaime-sama. I see Hiruzen-kun made the right choice picking you," he sputtered as his body regenerated.

'_This is bad!_' thought Minato as he leapt away from the four Kage rank ninja. '_They'll keep recovering no matter what I do! And because the Kaiten Me is sealed, I can't use Geshi to turn them into dust! I'm going to have to use that jutsu! I hope Naruto can forgive me._'

Suddenly, to the shock of both Orochimaru and Minato, Hiruzen punched Hashirama as hard as he could, sending the Shodaime flying. He spun around and kicked Tobirama in his throat, crushing his windpipe. The Sandaime picked the Nidaime up and flung him into the wall of purple fire they nearly collided with earlier.

Hiruzen began making hand seals and screamed out, "This is for the Leaf! I have to correct my mistakes, and nothing, not even your vile jutsu, will stop me! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (_Shadow Clone Technique_)!"

A copy of Hiruzen materialized right next to the original. They both ran toward the Shodaime and Nidaime and made more hand seals. "Shiki Fujin (_Dead Demon Consuming Seal_)!"

A large, pale demon materialized behind Hiruzen. He wore a tattered, white kimono and a black chest plate. His hair was wild, white, and untamed; two horns stuck out on either side of his head. A large carving knife was held firmly in his mouth by his teeth. Orochimaru paled (more) as he watched the demon advance upon the Nidaime and Shodaime. Hiruzen and his clone grabbed the two Senju men, and the demon slashed the four. Their souls left their body and entered the body of the demon.

"Argh! That basssstard SSSSarutobi alwayssss findssss a way to sssscrew everything up!" screeched Orochimaru.

'_I have to try and use my Kaiten Me. If I die here, I'm gonna die on my feet and with that bastard Orochimaru going with me!_' Minato strained as his Kaiten me slowly activated. The runes on his forehead began to burn bright red as unbelievable pain racked his body. '_Damn, this seal is eating my chakra! Gotta move fast!_'

Minato made a hand seal and shouted, "Hiraishin no Jutsu (_Yellow Flying Thunder God Technique_)!" In a flash of golden light, the Yondaime vanished and reappeared before Orochimaru. "Rasenshushou (_Spiraling Palm_)[_**10**_]!"

With one primal war cry, Minato expelled a mass of chakra so powerful, Orochimaru was flung all the way across the Hokage Box and crashed into the wall of purple fire. The snake-nin screamed as the purple flames wrapped around his body. Try as he might, he couldn't free himself from the flames.

Minato sunk to his knees as his Kaiten Me faded. '_I did it. I killed Orochimaru! But now I'm going to leave Naruto-kun an orphan. I hope you can forgive me, my son. I hope you can forgive me to, Kushina. I failed our son; I failed you, too._'

The Yondaime fell forward as the purple flames of the barrier fell. He saw Orochimaru's four bodyguards leap to him and dispel the flames. The sound of birds filled the air and Kakashi and Gai came into his line of view running toward the four ninja. At this point, the strain of the battle overwhelmed him.

The Yondaime's eyes shut.

* * *

Next Time: I have to protect Lee from this guy, Tsumeato. I never heard of him before, but I can tell he's a master at Taijutsu and Kenjutsu. And he's fast, too. I guess I'm going to actually have to work here.

Oh, stop your complaining! At least your opponent can be hurt! Mine keeps healing himself, and it's pissing me off!

_Chuuko and Zabuza's Excellent Adventure!_

* * *

1- I changed the title because I realized while writing this chapter that it wouldn't flow well if I included Kyo and Shukaku's fight.

2- Chikara Chuugi no Jutsu (_Forced Loyalty Technique_): The user infuses their chakra into a target to completely take control of it.

3- Kyo calls Naruto kit because he has great respect for him. He called Lee kit because he had great respect for his desire to want to protect his home.

4- New Character Bio (_Tsuchi Tsumeato_): Tsumeato is a hardened warrior from Otogakure no Sato. He is the father of deceased Oto-nin Tsuchi Kin. Tsumeato has trained himself in Taijutsu and Kenjutsu solely. He views his daughter as a weakling and worships Orochimaru for saving his wife from a terminal illness. Tsumeato wields a claymore he stole from his home village of Iwagakure no Sato. _**His name means scarred earth.**_

5- Gokuin no Dojutsu (_Sealing of the Eye Technique_): A very rare, powerful Fuuinjutsu. The user can seal another's dojutsu. This jutsu is hardly ever used because of the many years it takes to master the intricate seals needed to make this technique effective.

6- Fuuton: Sumiyaka Butoukai (_Sound Ball_): The user releases a powerful orb of wind capable of knocking down the strongest structures.

7- Fuuton: Kamisorikaze (_Wind Release: Razor Wind_): The user expels wind from their body sharp enough to cut rock.

8- Fuuton: Bakuhatei (_Wind Release: Air Blast_): The user blows a gale of wind out from their mouth.

9- Raiton: Rasengan no Seken (_Lightning Release: Spiraling Sphere of the Earth_): This is a Rasengan four times the size of a normal one. The user can infuse any chakra type he wants into the orb to increase its damaging abilities.

10- Rasenshushou (_Spiraling Palm_): A primitive version of the Rasengan created by Minato Namikaze. The user gathers their chakra in their palm, rotates it, then fires it at a target. Unlike the normal Rasengan, this technique is a projectile (similar to a shotgun) and the chakra is not visible.


	33. The Fouth Ninja War III

**The Epitome of Eccentricity**: Oh, come on! Why would I make it so easy? But truthfully, I haven't determined if Minato is dead yet.

**Vin-Artemis-David-Kylor-T.O.L**: Yup, he's an Akatsuki member.

Thanks to RasenShuriken 92 for the encouragement!

* * *

_Chuuko and Zabuza's Excellent Adventure! [__**1**__]_

* * *

The giant snakes moved through Konoha, leaving a wake of destruction in their path. Obito and Azulong weren't going to allow them to destroy their home. The mighty dragon roared and released a massive stream of golden fire that consumed four of the six snakes.

"Kuchiyose: Yatai Kuzushi (_Summoning: Food Cart Destroyer_)!" A giant brown and grey frog materialized in the sky and fell on top of the remaining two snakes, crushing them beneath its weight.

"Long time no see, Obito-san. My, you've grown since I last saw you; we're almost the same height!" Jiraiya shouted to the Uchiha.

"Jiraiya-sama!" shouted Obito. "It's been a while! How's my favorite old pervert doing?"

"Oh, I'm still kicking! Say, why don't you and I go peeping like we did before I left?"

Obito shook his head incredulously. "Uh, kinda in the middle of a war here?"

"Oh yeah," said Jiraiya as his toad leapt into the air again and squashed a mass of Oto-nin. "Where's my favorite nephew?"

Obito hesitated before saying, "He's, uh, fighting Orochimaru."

Jiraiya leapt off the toad and activated his Kaiten Me. In a flash of silver light, he was inside the arena. The toad-nin leapt up into the Hokage Box and saw the thing he feared the most.

Kakashi was cradling the still body of Minato.

* * *

Tsumeato and Chuuko stared each other down. Lee had scrambled up a tall tree to avoid being in the two warriors' way. "You can't escape me, Chuuko-san," Tsumeato said.

"Who said I wanted to?" Chuuko said with a smirk. "I haven't had a real challenge in a while; I won't run from the first real fight I've had in ages."

Tsumeato scoffed as he cracked his neck in anticipation. Chuuko didn't hesitate and struck first, bringing his chokuto to bear at the Oto Commander's ribs. Tsumeato twisted the handle of his claymore and pulled out a thin blade and blocked the first chokuto. He then lifted the heavy black-and-blue blade and blocked the second chokuto.

"Just like I thought; you had another blade hidden in the hilt. I could tell by how the hilt was segmented that it could be twisted and a hidden blade could be removed from it."

"You're smarter than you look old man!" shouted Tsumeato as he sheathed the hidden blade.

Lee began to pale as a vein bulged in Chuuko's head. "WHAT…THE FUCK…DID YOU CALL ME?!?!"

* * *

Zabuza held his blade in front of him as he viewed his opponent. Other than his torn clothes, Kabuto had not a scratch on him. No matter what Zabuza threw at him, he couldn't kill him.

"I told you before, my kekkei genkei, Kanboukousei (_Cell Regeneration_) [_**2**_], allows me to regenerate any injured part of my body as much as I please without worrying about shortening my life," Kabuto said smugly as he pushed his glasses up.

"Bah! I hate kekkei genkeis, especially ones that make it easy for ninja to advance in the world!" spat Zabuza.

"Heh, it's all I could expect from a ninja coming from Kiri. You killed ninja like me all the time didn't you?"

Zabuza stiffened as he recalled all the innocents he killed because of his prejudices. "I used to support the Sandaime's genocide, but I see things differently now."

"Ah, yes. I know all about how you saved that little girl from being slaughtered. Tell me, what made her different from all the other children you killed in the name of your discriminatory ideology?"

Zabuza ignored Kabuto's taunts and made a quick hand seals and shouted, "Suiton: Suishu Gorugon (_Water Release: Powerful Blasting Rain Trench_)[_**3**_]!"

Water from the sewer rose up and took the form of a large piranha. Zabuza pointed at the Oto-nin, and his water spirit flew toward him with amazing speed. Kabuto leapt out of the way, but Zabuza met him half way, with his cleaver raised high above his head. He brought the massive weapon down, and the silver-haired man barely had a chance to bring a kunai up to defend himself. Zabuza's strength proved to be superior as he easily forced Kabuto onto the ground, his own kunai pressed against his throat.

"See? You hide behind your kekkei genkei and you can't even handle me when I'm not trying," Zabuza said.

Kabuto smirked and sank into the ground. He burst out of the ground and tried to hit Zabuza with his hands, which were glowing blue with chakra. When it became apparent that the ex-Kiri-nin wouldn't succumb to his attempts at Taijutsu, Kabuto leapt back and made a quick hand seal.

"Doton: Fukusuu Doro Butoukai (_Earth Release: Multiple Mud Balls_)[_**4**_]!"

Kabuto spat about seventy balls of mud at Zabuza. He twirled his cleaver and deflected all of the mud from him. "You're gonna have to try much harder than that if you want to win!" shouted Zabuza as he rushed Kabuto.

* * *

Chuuko was enraged that Tsumeato had just called him old. "I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU!!!" shouted Chuuko as he launched himself at Tsumeato.

The Oto-commander grabbed his claymore and whispered, "Doton Kenjutsu: Shikarunitsuchi (_Earth Sword Art Style: Still Earth_)[_**5**_]!"

Chuuko tried going for the jugular, but was amazed that Tsumeato could move his large weapon to block the small katana. The Konoha-nin tried to stab through a weak spot in the Oto-commander's stance, but was met with the same result.

"I'm a master of the Doton Kenjutsu. I can easily defeat you without breaking a sweat!"

Chuuko grunted and thought, '_I hate life._'

* * *

Kabuto began stringing through hand seals. "Doton: Doryuheki (_Earth Release: Earth Style Wall_)!" Kabuto spat a large amount of mud onto the ground and created a large wall. He made a few more quick hand seals and shouted, "Doton: Gosunkugihei (_Earth Release: Spiked Wall_)[_**6**_]!"

Large spikes burst from the wall. Zabuza was forced to slam his cleaver down in front of him to block the sharp, earthen blades. He pulled a kunai out of his ninja pouch and leapt up to try and stab Kabuto. The silver-haired Oto-nin just allowed Zabuza to stab him in the chest.

"You're a real idiot, aren't you?" said Kabuto smugly. "It's impossible to kill or harm me. You should give up."

Zabuza snarled in rage and stab Kabuto repeatedly all over his body. He stabbed Kabuto in his neck, and Kabuto kicked him off of the wall. Kabuto gurgled as blood began spilling from his mouth. Zabuza's eyes widened as he realized there was a weak spot on Kabuto's body. The wound healed much slower than any other wound on his body.

Zabuza smirked, showing off his sharpened teeth. "Guess you're not so immortal after all."

* * *

Chuuko grabbed a green ball out of his ninja pouch and tossed it toward Tsumeato. The Oto-commander grabbed the ball and crushed it in his hand, releasing a green mist.

"Trying to use a neurotoxic mist? Sorry to burst your bubble, but Otokage-sama has been poisoning me since I joined him over fourteen years ago. I'm immune to almost all conventional means of poisoning. Try a different method."

Chuuko cursed under his breath and sheathed his chokuto. He unzipped his flak jacket and removed his blue shirt, revealing his scarred chest. The old-nin held his arms out, and a black mist rose from them.

"How's this for you?!" shouted Chuuko as he sent the mist toward Tsumeato. The Oto-commander twirled his claymore, dispelling the mist.

"So this is the famed Kiriojou (_Death Mist_)[_**7**_] of the Masurao Clan, eh?" said Tsumeato with a grin. "I always wanted to see how I stood up to the ultimate virus."

"Heh. If I hit you with the Kiriojou, you'll be dead in minutes. You sure you want to run the risk?" asked Chuuko as he sent a second blast toward Tsumeato.

The Oto-commander raised his blade and shouted, "Doton Kenjutsu: Gyakujou Getsuei (Earth Sword Art Style: Frenzied Moon)[_**8**_]!"

A red glow emanated from the claymore. Tsumeato roared and swung the sword horizontally, releasing an arc of red chakra. The mist dispersed as the arc passed through it and head toward Chuuko. The old-nin leapt out of the way, and the arc cut the tree Lee was standing on in half. Lee leapt to another tree and watched as the arc continued for miles before dispersing.

Chuuko groaned to himself and shouted, "Oh, come the fuck on!"

* * *

Shukaku floated through the air over the forest as he searched for a suitable place to land. "**Hm, I guess I can set down in that huge plain over there,**" he said to himself. Shukaku leapt off of his platform and onto the grass below. He absorbed the sand into his body and stretched his limbs.

"**I can feel my yokai returning to me,**" he said as he scratched his head. He smiled and said, "**You're fast, child.**"

Sure enough, Sasuke was standing on a tree off in the distance. The two stared each other down for a few moments before Sasuke said, "I don't know where you came from, but I'm going to eradicate you!"

"**I will kill you. I will crush every hope, dream, lust, love, and ambition you ever had. And once I do that, I'll feel alive!**" The sand shot from Shukaku's back into the sky and took the shape of a demon's hand attached to a handle.

"**Each bijuu was granted a weapon forged by Izanagi himself. I call mine Zaiko Zettai Kogeki: Shukaku no Hoko (**_**Ultimately Hard Absolute Attack: Spear of Shukaku**_**)[**_9_**]. He took the hand of the great Tanuki king, Kouseki [**_10_**], and formed this powerful weapon.**"

The Shukaku no Hoko fell into Shukaku's hand, and he began twirling it as a malicious glint twinkled in his eye. Sasuke grunted and thought, '_So much for ending this quickly._'

* * *

Tsumeato launched himself at Chuuko with tremendous speed. The old-nin leapt back and watched as the Oto-commander slammed his claymore into the earth. He smirked maliciously and shouted, "Doton Kenjutsu: Hisakata Bakudan (_Earth Sword Art Style: Lunar Bomb_)[_**11**_]!"

The area began to glow with an intense red light and a massive explosion rocked the clearing that they were fighting in. Lee was blown off into the forest. A large black dome stood where Chuuko was positioned. The old-nin was actually within it.

"Damn, it's a good thing I got the Uirusutate (_Viral Shield_)[_**12**_] up in time," he muttered to himself. Suddenly, Tsumeato burst from the ground below Chuuko, attempting to split him in two with his glowing blade. Chuuko barely managed to unsheathe his chokuto to defend himself. The Oto-commander burst through the shield and Chuuko rolled out of his way. His right chokuto had shattered completely from the attack; his left was severely damaged.

"I think it's time to end this battle," Tsumeato said with a crazed expression on his face as he raised his claymore. Two earthen hands burst out of the ground and grabbed Chuuko's ankles tightly.

'_Damn, a Tsuchi Bunshin (_Earth Clone_)!_' he thought. Chuuko could only watch helplessly as the claymore began its death arc.

* * *

"Mizu Bunshin (_Water Clone_)!" shouted Zabuza as seven clones rose from the sewer water around him. They are released a primal war cry and launched themselves at Orochimaru's right-hand man.

Kabuto shouted, "Chakra no Mesu (_Chakra Scalpel_)!" Kabuto made quick work of the clones by cutting through their chakra networks. He ran toward Zabuza and quickly cut the ex-Kiri-nin's tendons and muscles, rendering him immobile.

"Looks like I win," said the smug medic-nin. He raised his hand over Zabuza's chest and prepared to take the fatal blow. "Any last words?"

Zabuza coughed up a mouthful of blood and weakly said, "Six."

"What?" replied Kabuto in confusion.

"You only…cut down…six," Zabuza smirked. The final water clone burst from the ground and swung its cleaver. Kabuto quickly moved out of the way, and the clone dispelled, for Zabuza no longer had the chakra necessary to sustain him.

"Nice try, but it's still not e—" Kabuto stopped and screamed in pain as everything from his left shoulder down separated from the rest of his body.

"I gotta thank Naruto-san for teaching me that jutsu," murmured Zabuza as he lost consciousness.

* * *

Tsumeato was just about to release a concentrated burst of lunar radiation, when Lee kicked the sword out of his hand. The Oto-nin stopped glowing, but his blade continued to.

"Fucking brat!" Tsumeato shouted as he quickly punched Lee in the head, knocking him out. Chuuko ran toward Tsumeato, who grabbed him by the head and tossed him into the sky. He summoned his claymore to his hand and threw the blade, coursing with red lunar radiation, toward Chuuko.

The old-nin made some quick hand seals and shouted, "Sobu Uirusu Gaikotsu (_Hard Viral Armor_)[_**13**_]!" The black mist coated his skin and formed a hard exoskeleton over Chuuko's body. Still it was not enough to protect him from the blade, which forced its way through the armor and into his stomach. Chuuko fell lifelessly to the ground, his eyes dilated and wide.

Tsumeato smugly swaggered over to the lifeless corpse of Chuuko and reached for his still glowing claymore. Before his hand could reach the hilt, Chuuko's eyes shot open and his armor evaporated. The black mist swarmed the Oto-commander, who flailed futilely in an attempt to fan the mist away.

"I…realized when…Lee kicked…your sword…away…that the lunar…radiation was…what was protecting…you. If I could…make you throw your…claymore,…I knew I…could infect…you."

Tsumeato laughed in spite of himself and asked, "You were that confident I'd part with my blade?"

Chuuko laughed, then violently began coughing up blood. "I figured…the chances…of this working…were .00567%," the old-nin muttered before closing his eyes.

"Damn old man," Tsumeato muttered as he too fell forward and lost consciousness.

* * *

Sasuke collapsed on the ground, covered in gashes and bruises. Shukaku stood over him and laughed. "**I told you human. You are not worthy of being in my presence. Oh well, time to die!**"

Shukaku twirled his halberd once more and prepared to bring it down on Sasuke's head. A hand touched the Tanuki Lord's shoulder and voice asked, "_**Do you mind if I cut in?**_"

A fist lashed out and hit Shukaku with so much force that the ground beneath him seemed to shatter like glass. The Tanuki Lord turned around to face his grand nemesis, Okami Kyo.

"**Ah, Rosutoyue! I was hoping I would get an opportunity to fight you once more. Tell me, will you die this time?**

"_**No, I have other plans this time,**_" Kyo said as he unsheathed the Ierokitsune.

* * *

Next Time: _**I will have my revenge, Shukaku!**_

_The Heavens Weep From Their Power! The Ichibi vs. The Kyuubi!_

* * *

1- Just so you know in case I confused you, the Chuuko/Tsumeato and Zabuza/Kabuto fights are happening at the same time as Minato's fight with Orochimaru. Everything else in this chapter occurs after the three fights are over.

2- New Kekkei Genkei (_Kanboukousei_): This kekkei genkei is exclusive to the Yakushi clan. The Yakushi clan's cells were special in that they could divide infinitely without dying, and they could be manipulated at will. The Yakushi learned how to use their ability to heal themselves. The one weakness with this kekkei genkei is that if the user's head is cut off, they can't heal and will die.

3- Suiton: Suishu Gorugon (_Water Release: Powerful Blasting Rain Trench_): This technique will summon a large amount of water that will then be used to strike at the opponent in several versatile ways. Zabuza has been known to transform it into a piranha with a gaping mouth to attack. The water used will be stationary till it is sent offensively toward the opponent.

4- Doton: Fukusuu Doro Butoukai (_Earth Release: Multiple Mud Balls_): The user can shoot multiple shots of mud at the opponent.

5- Doton Kenjutsu: Shikarunitsuchi (_Earth Sword Art Style: Still Earth_): This is a kenjutsu style that relies more on defense than offense. The user sends their chakra through their weapon, making it lightless. The user can move their weapon, no matter how heavy, like it is a feather. This jutsu got its name because the user theoretically never has to move from their spot.

6- Doton: Gosunkugihei (_Earth Release: Spiked Wall_): The user must first use Doton: Doryuheki (_Earth Release: Earth Style Wall_). Then the user can infuse Doton chakra with the wall to cause spikes to burst out of the wall, causing someone running toward it to run into the spikes.

7- Kiriojou (_Death Mist_): The ultimate technique of the Masurao Clan. The user can create a black mist filled with over one billion viruses. If anyone breathes in the mist, all of those viruses will begin assaulting their body at once. The only downside to the jutsu is that it eats away at the user's chakra faster than most jutsu. However, if the virus floats around something with chakra in it, it can absorb the chakra and send it to the user.

8- Doton Kenjutsu: Gyakujou Getsuei (Earth Sword Art Style: Frenzied Moon): The user gains strength from the radiation released from the moon. The cutting power of the ninja weapon is increased, and red or blue radiation can be released from the user's weapon (depending on the time of day).

9- Zaiko Zettai Kogeki: Shukaku no Hoko (_Ultimately Hard Absolute Attack: Spear of Shukaku_): The first weapon forged by Izanagi for the Bijuu. The blade of this halberd is shaped like that of a Tanuki's claw. There is nothing in existence that this halberd cannot pierce.

10- New Character Bio (_Kouseki_): Kouseki was the king of the Tanuki Clan during the time of Shukaku's childhood. He was known as a kind and gentle man who loved children. As such, while travelling through the desert, he witnessed Shukaku's death and pleaded with Izanagi to revive him at the cost of his own life. Izanagi merged the two together, creating Shukaku, the Bijuu. Kouseki is believed to have been the first Ichibi.

11- Doton Kenjutsu: Hisakata Bakudan (_Earth Sword Art Style: Lunar Bomb_): The user must first use Doton Kenjutsu: Gyakujou Getsuei to become infused with lunar radiation. Next, the user slams their blade into the earth and discharges, creating a massive explosion.

12- Uirusutate (_Viral Shield_): A jutsu exclusive to the Masurao Clan. The user can harden the viral mist they emanate from their body and create a durable shield.

13- Sobu Uirusu Gaikotsu (_Hard Viral Armor_): A Masurao Clan exclusive jutsu. The user covers themselves in a hard armor made of virus


	34. The Fouth Ninja War IV

**Syrena Li**: Well, I'll let you know in a chapter or two if he's dead or alive. And my little brother slapped me when he read that chapter so you have a kindred spirit lol.

**The First Kitsukage**: Before you write off my story, can you at least hear my logic? Yeah, I know that there are a lot of OC's, but each one of them is necessary to my story. I bet you if I cut them out and posted this story back up, it would not only be a carbon copy of the manga, but it wouldn't flow like it does. And as far as the Kyuubi dying by the Ichibi, if you read this chapter, you'll get it. Also, when I did research for the tailed beasts, I learned the number of tails they have only means how experienced they are or how old they are. Hence, I decided to make it so that they were all on an even playing field. If you don't want to read my story anymore, then fine, I can't force you to read my story. But I want you to at least understand _**my**_ logic.

Thanks to RasenShuriken 92 for the encouragement!

* * *

_The Heavens Weep from Their Power! The Ichibi vs. the Kyuubi!_

* * *

"_**Haku, move Sasuke and you and Harufuudo stay out of my way,**_" ordered Kyo. Haku wasted no time snatching Sasuke up, but Harufuudo didn't comply so easily.

"_**WHY THE FUCK DID YOU SUMMON ME IF YOU HAD NO INTENTIONS OF USING ME?!?!**_" he shouted in anger.

"_**In case I lose. Now get out of my way.**_" Harufuudo realized his father wasn't playing around and begrudgingly moved to the sidelines with Haku and Sasuke.

"**I never told you much about myself, did I Kyo?**" asked Shukaku as he gazed at the clouds. "**I came into the world by stealing the life of my mother; Gaara did as well. My body was weak and failing me; much like Gaara's was. I became the strongest warrior; much like Gaara would have if I allowed him to survive. I guess that I should have had a more invested interest in Gaara's life, but the truth is I could care less about what happens to the boy.**"

"_**Our time has passed Shukaku! It is time for Gaara and Naruto's generation to take control! Stop clinging to the past!**_"

"_**I never thought you clang to your past enough!**_" Shukaku laughed as sand shot out of his chest and raced toward Kyo. The Kyuubi prepared to leap out of the way, but was amazed when the sand suddenly changed directions and went toward Haku.

Kyo slammed the Ierokitsune into the ground and shouted, "_**Oni Bijutsu: Jigokuiki (**__Demon Art: Hell's Soul__**)[**__1__**]!**_"

A large geyser of magma shot out of the ground and turned the approaching sand into glass. Shukaku used the distraction to close the gap between him and Kyo. He thrust the halberd toward the Kyuubi's head, but the redhead brought the Ierokitsune up to block. The force of Shukaku's attack caused a small crater to be formed.

"**What did they mean to you?**" inquired Shukaku as he and Kyo tried to gain the upper hand on each other in a high speed sword fight.

"_**What are you talking about?**_"

"**The rest of the Rosuto. I mean, I am sure you know what happened after I killed you, right?"**

Kyo growled in anger at Shukaku's words, and the Ichibi used the opening to slash Kyo across his chest. Kyo swung his mystical sword down, but the attack was blocked.

"**It was so much fun. I killed Hihi, Katatsumuri, Kujira, Kyodai, and Oushi slowly and painfully. Their blood tasted so good. And do you want to know what I did to Bake?**"

"_**Shut up! Onichishuuha!**_" roared Kyo as a massive wave of red yokai created a three mile wide radius of destruction.

Shukaku merely reformed his body and finished, "**I raped her repeatedly, violently, and brutally until her vagina became too loose for my tastes.**"

Kyo's eyes became slits and he screamed, "_**Yonbiko Imari (**__Four-Tailed Fox Menacing Ball__**)!**_"

A blue and red ball of yokai formed in Kyo's hand. He materialized in front of Shukaku and slammed the ball into his chest. An explosion engulfed the ravaged plain. Harufuudo barely had time to move Haku and Sasuke out of the way before the attack connected.

"_**They were my friends! They were OUR friends! How could you do that to them?**_"

"**Joyfully. Especially when I had knocked out all of Bake's teeth and shoved my—**"

Kyo's blade pierced straight through Shukaku's chest, interrupting his lewd taunt. The Ichibi coughed up a mouthful of sand, and his body dissolved into a pile of sand. Kyo swung his blade down and another Onichishuuha hit the pile.

"**They were never my friends. They were an ends to a mean for me,**" said Shukaku as his body reformed.

Kyo roared in rage and screamed, "_**Damn you, Shukaku!**_"

The Kyuubi leapt at the Ichibi, who easily slapped him away with his halberd. Kyo rolled on the ground and regenerated his wound. Shukaku made hand seals and shouted, "**If you think that what I did to your little lover was bad, wait until you hear what I will do this delectable young maiden!**"

Kyo looked up in horror to see Haku suspended in midair, encased in sand. Harufuudo was engaged in a losing battle with several Suna Bunshin and had yet to realize Haku had been snatched by the Ichibi.

"**We both know how this works. She will not be released until you can kill me, IF you can kill me. Care to roll the dice, my old friend?**" said Shukaku maliciously. "**Suna Shuriken!**"

A barrage of sand-made shuriken shot from the Ichibi's chest and made its way towards Kyo. The ancient Okami knocked away everyone that made its way toward him. The sand began to retreat toward Shukaku's body, and it was Naruto, trapped inside Kyo's body, who realized what was going on.

_Kyo-sensei! Look at Shukaku and tell me what you see!_

Kyo watched as the Ichibi panted and heaved as the sand began to rejoin with his body. Slowly, but surely, Shukaku's breathing began to even out until he was breathing normally.

'_**I cannot believe I never noticed that before! Kit, what we are witnessing is an ancient jutsu that the Bunshin no Jutsu is based on. It is called the Ougonjutsu: Damisuna (**__Alchemy: Sand Dummy__**)[**__2__**]. The leaders of the Rurousha no Suna (**__Nomads of the Sand__**)[**__3__**] would learn this jutsu so that their souls could have a vessel to reside in when their original body died.**_'

Kyo ran around Shukaku with amazing speed, trying to confuse the Ichibi. He was unable to guard himself from each of the Kyuubi's slashes. Finally, Shukaku roared in anger and screamed, "**Fuuton: Mugen-saijin Daitoppa (**_Wind Release: Infinite Sand Cloud Great Breakthrough_**)!**"

Sand expelled from all over his body and knocked Kyo away. Shukaku quickly tried to re-summon the sand to his body, for he could feel his soul slipping into the afterlife. "_**I finally figured out the secret to your immortality!**_" shouted Kyo as he prepared to end Shukaku's miserable life.

"**Heh, go ahead, kill me. But tell me Kyuubi-san, can you honestly kill an innocent boy, too? Gaara and I are still interlinked, much like you and your brat are. If I die here, he dies too! I truly am immortal now!**"

Kyo growled in anger; all he could do was wait for the sand to merge back with Shukaku's body. '_**I know that I know a jutsu that could help us, but I cannot think of it right now! Damn it all!**_'

_I got this one, sensei! Just tell me where to go and I'll look through your jutsu for you!_

'_**In my castle, there is a portrait of a blue-haired priestess. Behind it is my jutsu vault. I must warn you though; it will take me some time to search through all of them.**_'

_How hard can it be?_

* * *

Naruto stood at the ladder that led to Kyo's realm in his mind_._ He was about to begin the long climb up, when a hand touched his shoulder. Naruto pulled a kunai out and threw it at the man who deftly caught it.

"Whoa, little buddy! Slow down!" the man said as he stepped out of the shadows. It was Izuna, the man that Kyo had spoken to in Naruto's mind some time ago. "I'm just trying to help you out!"

"Who are you, and how'd you get in here?"

"The same way redhead did! Look, I'm here to help you! I hear you have an ancient jutsu to find! Two people are much better than one!"

Naruto hesitated as he thought to himself. '_I don't know who this guy is, but if he came here with Kyo-sensei, he must be a good guy._'The blond Kitsune coughed and said, "Fine. But keep up!"

The two mounted the ladder and began the long climb up toward Kyo's realm. "So if you came here with Kyo-sensei, why is it that we've never met before?" asked Naruto.

"When we came into your body, we had gotten separated. I was lost in this sewer for thirteen years before I finally found you," Izuna replied as they reached the top and entered the Kyuubi's castle.

The two walked around the main hall until they found the portrait Kyo had spoken of. The woman in the portrait was beautiful: she had long, dark blue hair that flowed to her waist; fair skin; and her figured was sheathed in a simple grey priestess robe. What stood out to Naruto was the fact that she had pure white eyes like a Hyuuga.

"Ah, that's Hyuuga Bake, the Nibi no Nekomata," Izuna said. "The portrait doesn't do her justice; I hear she was much more beautiful in real life."

Naruto gently took the portrait off the wall, revealing a safe. There was no handle, combination, or padlock; in short, there was no way to open the door.

"WHAT THE FUCK!!! HOW DO YOU ASK ME TO OPEN A SAFE WITH NO WAY TO OPEN IT!!!" screamed Naruto in anger.

Izuna chuckled at Naruto, who was now angrily pounding away at the black steel door. "Hey blondie! Move out of the way and close your eyes!"

Naruto grumbled under his breath and complied with the raven-haired man's wishes. All Naruto heard was a thunder clap and a massive explosion. When he opened his eyes, the safe, along with three-quarters of the wall, was completely destroyed.

"Hehe, oops," said Izuna sheepishly.

The two stepped over the rubble to find a room filled with shelves hundreds of feet high in the air. On each shelf was hundreds of scrolls, each one a different jutsu that the millennium old Kyuubi had amassed in his lifetime and afterlife.

"Oh shit," Izuna and Naruto said together as they realized they just might not find jutsu they were looking for.

* * *

Shukaku flung his halberd at Kyo, who leapt into the air and created several Kage Bunshin. The Ichibi sent a stream of sand from his chest and hardened it, making a dense, earthen javelin. It ran completely through three of the clones, causing them to dispel. One of Kyo's clones grabbed his fur pelt and flung him toward the unaware Shukaku. The Ichibi leapt out of the way, but Kyo grabbed his arm and shouted, "_**Enkoute (**__Flaming Hand__**)[**__4__**]!**_"

Kyo's hands began to glow bright red, and Shukaku screamed in pain as his right arm burst into flames. He quickly put the flames out, only to gaze in horror to find his arm was now glass. Kyo punched the arm with all of his strength, causing it to shatter into a billion pieces. Shukaku hardened the sand in his left arm and punched Kyo with all his might, knocking him across the ravaged plain. As Kyo flew across the plain, he laughed and shouted, "_**Now!**_"

"Kyo" exploded into a plume of smoke and the real Kyo burst out of the ground, his body covered in a cloak of yokai. "_**Ichibibu: Kai (**_First Tail: Release_**)[**__5__**]!**_"

The Kyuubi swung up, and the sheer force of the uppercut ripped half of Shukaku's face off. The massive pressure turned the sand that Kyo ripped off into a chunk of glass.

"_**I see now that nothing will save you. So I will go all out and kill you here!**_"

Shukaku laughed maniacally and shouted back, "**Can you sacrifice the brat's life to appease your own bloodlust?**"

Kyo smirked as he cracked his knuckles and replied, "_**I will save Gaara. Count on it!**_"

* * *

Naruto and Izuna had tossed about 200 scrolls on the floor in their pursuit for the scroll that Kyo needed. Trying to pass the time, Naruto decided to ask Izuna questions.

"So where are you from?"

"My people originated in Kumogakure no Sato, but I grew up in Hi no Kuni."

"You're a ninja?"

"Yup. Been one for a while now."

"Then how come I don't know you?"

"Uh, kinda been trapped in your mind since you were a few weeks old?"

"Oh yeah. So, who are your people?"

"They're dead now. They're all insignificant anyway."

"How can you say that about them?"

"They treated me like dirt when I was with them. Well, me and my big brother too."

"What's your brother's name? Maybe I know him."

"Doubt it. He's not among us anymore."

"Do you miss him?"

"No, I just think about him all the time because I hate his guts."

"Why?"

"WHY DO YOU ASK SO MANY FUCKING QUESTIONS?"

* * *

Shukaku laughed again and asked Kyo, "**What makes you so confident that you can save him?**"

"_**Because I learned a long time ago that true strength comes from having people to fight for. I have a new person to fight for and his name is Gaara!**_"

"**Ugh, another one of your '_friendship is all we need_' speeches. Gag me! Or rather, gag you!**"

Shukaku made several hand seals and shouted, "**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**" A large Tanuki materialized in the plain and roared viciously.

Kyo smirked and shouted, "_**Harufuudo! You get to fight now!**_"

The Kitsune Prince grinned the infamous Kitsune grin and made a hand seal. "_**Kuxo-ta-getseui (**_Quarter Moon_**)[**_5,7_**]!**_"

A crescent of forest green yokai incinerated the Suna clones. A tattoo of a quarter moon appeared on Harufuudo's forehead, and the prince made a hand seal. "_**Shinsei Youshiki: Kai (**_True Form: Release_**)[**_8_**]!**_"

Forest green yokai expanded throughout the plain, enshrouding Harufuudo. When the yokai died down, a large Kitsune with platinum blonde fur stood in the plain. He had eight tails with red tips that swished violently behind him. Drool fell from his mouth as he snarled at the Ichibi and his Tanuki.

"_**Dad!**_" the Kitsune, who we now know to be Harufuudo, shouted. "_**Get up here!**_"

Kyo wasted no time leaping all the way up onto his son's massive head. "_**I always wanted to taste Tanuki flesh,**_" said Harufuudo as he licked his now black lips.

"_**Hang on tight!**_" he shouted as he leapt toward the two Tanuki. Harufuudo's right paw began to glow with purple yokai as he shouted, "_**Dokutsume (**_Poison Claw_**)!**_"

The Tanuki roared and shouted, "**Fuuton: Renkudan (**_Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet_**)!**" He released a concentrated ball of chakra and wind at the Kitsune prince, who leapt to the left to avoid the attack. More of the beautiful landscape of Hi no Hayashi was ruined by the attack.

"_**Supeketoru Gokakyu no Jutsu (**__Spectral Fireball Technique__**)[**__9__**]**_!" shouted Harufuudo.

The massive, blue fireball made its way toward the Tanuki King with the speed of a fighter jet. He barely had time to shout, "**Saikō Zettai Bōgyo: Shukaku no Tate (**_Absolutely Hard Ultimate Defense: Shield of Shukaku_**)!**"

A massive Tanuki made of sand materialized before him and morphed into glass the second the fireball came in contact with it. Harufuudo smiled in spite of the fact that his attack was deflected and telepathically communicated with his father.

_**Dad! I figured out how to kill Shukaku!**_

_**Forgive me if I sound skeptical, but how did you accomplish in five minutes what I have been trying to do for almost a millennium?**_

_**My Supeketoru Jutsu! They attack a person's spirit, not their body! If I can hit him with one, I can wipe his essence out without killing Gaara!**_

_**Hmm………it may work, but Naruto may have already found the Wareme Kotan [**__10__**]. That would definitely work.**_

_**This is Naruto-kun we're talking about.**_

…………………_**Good point.**_

* * *

Naruto groaned in frustration. One thousand scrolls later, neither he nor Izuna had managed to find the Wareme Kotan scroll Kyo sent them (well, Naruto) to find. The blonde Kitsune roared in frustration and began flinging scrolls wildly.

"_**WHAT THE FUCK?!?! WHY IS THIS FUCKING SCROLL SO FUCKING HARD TO FUCKING FIND?!?!**_" screamed Naruto as he tossed a particularly large scroll in Izuna's direction.

The raven-haired ninja leapt over it and landed on top of the scroll. He looked at the temperamental blonde and said, "Now now, young man. Bitching won't get you anything but bitch slapped in life."

"_**APPARENTLY, BITCHING WON'T GET ME THE WAREME KOTAN SCROLL EITHER!!!**_" screamed Naruto.

As if on cue, a secret compartment burst out of the wall near Naruto and a small scroll labeled 'Wareme Kotan' sat in it. "What the—OH COME ON!!!" shouted Naruto as he angrily snatched the scroll up.

Izuna slapped his forehead in frustration and mumbled to himself, "Kyo-san never does anything simply. For him to make getting his rarest scrolls so simple, it's a tactic even I wouldn't have thought of!"

He stroked his chin and said, "I wonder…Fūinjutsu: Genryū Kyū Fūjin?"

A second compartment opened, revealing a scroll labeled 'Never To Be Used.'

Izuna smirked and thought, '_Finally!_' He grabbed the scroll and walked over to Naruto, who was reading the Wareme Kotan.

"Hey dobe!" shouted the older man, causing Naruto to look up from the scroll and into his eyes. "Thanks for everything," Izuna whispered as Naruto's eyes closed and he passed out.

* * *

_**Do you think you can not get yourself killed again old man?**_

_**Sure enough, Harufuudo-kun. Do it now!**_

Harufuudo growled and shouted, "_**Supeketoru Honoo (**__Spectral Flames__**)[**__11__**]!**_"

A massive current of blue fire left Harufuudo's mouth and made its way toward Shukaku and his Tanuki bodyguard. The Tanuki lord laughed as the attack took its sweet time reaching him.

"**Sand! Protect me!**" he shouted mockingly as sand wrapped itself around his form.

The flames engulfed his bodyguard, killing him instantaneously, while turning the dome he was engulfed in into blue, crystalline glass.

"**These fools just have to accept that they are in the presence of a god!**" gloated Shukaku. Light began to shine around Shukaku from behind

"_**Funny. All I see is a raccoon about to be skinned alive!**_"

Shukaku wheeled around to see Kyo standing there, the Ierokitsune covered in blue flames.

"**But how?!**"

"_**I was running alongside the flames, absorbing some into my blade. Then I cut my way through the glass like I am about to cut through you,**_" Kyo nonchalantly said.

Shukaku began howling at the mere absurdity of Kyo's words. "**I am Kami, fool! I cannot be har—!**"

The Tanuki Lord was cut short as Kyo plunged his blade into the chest of his most hated enemy. "_**You always talked too much. See, my son is a practitioner of Mikoto Arts. He knows how to kill the soul. Like I always told you, no one is immortal, not even Izanagi-sama himself.**_"

Shukaku began screaming with such force as Shinigami appeared to take his soul. All of the glass within a 100-mile radius cracked or shattered from the bloodcurdling sound. The sound stopped just as quickly as it began, and all the body of Shukaku melted away into a pile of sand. It began to reform slowly into an unconscious Gaara.

"_**It's finally over,**_" sighed Kyo in relief.

"Not quite, my redheaded friend."

Kyo whipped around to be standing face-to-face with Izuna. "_**How—**_"

"You're protégé was most helpful. He figured out how to access your secret jutsu, and all I had to do is steal the Genryū Kyū Fūjin."

"_**I won't let you get away, Izuna!**_" shouted the Okami as he prepared to strike him down.

"You seem to forget that I'm a master of time and space," Izuna boasted as he faded away instantly.

"_**Damn it all!**_" shouted Kyo. "_**I can't sense him! He must have already linked up with his brother!**_" The Okami sunk to his knees in frustration and whispered, "_**I've failed you, Bake-chan.**_"

* * *

Next Time: I can't believe I was so trusting! Because of me, Izuna has some powerful jutsu that does Kami knows what. And with the village in disarray I don't know how we're gonna—what do you mean dad's dead?!

_Barren! The Leafless Tree!_

* * *

1- Oni Bijutsu: Jigokuiki (_Demon Art: Hell's Soul_): The user opens a portal to Hell and summons a geyser of lava. This attack is usually an offensive one, but can be used defensively too.

2- Ougonjutsu: Damisuna (_Alchemy: Sand Dummy_): The Ougonjutsu mixes science, magic, and chakra. The user takes an ounce of their blood, sand, and other potion ingredients to make an exact physical replica of themselves. The user can then transfer their souls (and in turn, their jutsu, memories, experience, etc.) to the "dummy," which will last as long as the its make-up is not disturbed.

3- The Rurousha no Suna is the name of the tribe that took Shukaku in.

4- Enkoute (Flaming Hand): The user chanels yokai into their hands and can set whatever they touch on fire.

5- Ichibibu: Kai (_First Tail: Release_): The Bijuu must keep their massive yokai sealed to prevent the sheer force of it from killing those around them. By releasing the first seal, the Bijuu will gain enough yokai to make them as strong as a one-tailed demon.

6- Kuxo-ta-getseui (_Quarter Moon_): The user releases yokai in the shape of crescent moon. The attack's strength increase when the quarter moon is high in the sky.

7- Harufuudo's jutsu relies on lunar radiation, much like Tsuchi Tsumeato's. With certain jutsu, a tattoo of a different phase of the moon appears on his head. This signifies the amount of control he has over his own power.

8- Shinsei Youshiki: Kai (_True Form: Release_): Most demon seal their demonic appearances when traveling throughout the realm of the living to prevent scaring humans. The user releases the seal with this technique.

9- Supeketoru Gokakyu no Jutsu (_Spectral Fireball Technique_): The user fires a ball of blue flames designed to attack one's soul.

10- Wareme Kotan (_Soul Splitter_): This jutsu is usually used to remove a demon from a Jinchuuriki. Under normal circumstances, the demon survives while the Jinchuuriki dies, but a slight tweak in the hand seals may allow both to survive.

11- Supeketoru Honoo (_Spectral Flames_): The user releases a massive stream of blue flames that are designed to damage an opponent's soul.

* * *

I'm so so sorry for the huge delay! My shitty Dell PC finally crashed, and we moved to a new state, so I've been typing this chapter at the school library instead of a friend's like usual. Updates will probably be slow for a month or so. Hopefully this chapter will keep you satiated.


	35. Search For Tsunade I

Thanks to RasenShuriken 92 and The Unknown Twinkie for the encouragement!

* * *

_Barren! The Leafless Tree!_

* * *

Haku screamed as she plunged toward the earth hundreds of feet below her. During all the confusion of the Bijuu's battle, everyone seemed to have forgotten that she had been suspended in midair by the bloodthirsty Ichibi. Strong arms wrapped around Haku just before she hit the ground, and the two bodies rolled across the ravaged battlefield.

"Tsk, you shouldn't let yourself get caught like that. It makes you a liability."

Haku looked up into Sasuke's tired face. He was smirking per usual, and the two stared at each other, onyx eyes meeting pewter ones. Both were breathing heavily, and a brush crept over Haku's face.

"You know you want me," chuckled Sasuke. His haughty laughter was cut short with a well-placed knee to the balls by the ice maiden.

"You may be cute, but you sure as hell know how to kill the mood," Haku sighed as Sasuke rolled of her in agonizing pain.

* * *

Sarutobi Asuma finished off the last of the Oto-nin outside of the arena with a well-placed jab to the larynx. He sighed and thought, '_Finally, time to light up a smoke._'

Asuma reached into his flak jacket's pocket and pulled out a carton of cigarettes. He prepared to take one out when a ninja landed behind him.

"Don't you know you should never sneak up on a ninja when he's enjoying a smoke, Obito-san?" Asuma said as he placed the death stick in his mouth.

Silence.

"What?" said Asuma as he began to turn around. "No funny quip about how ninja shouldn't be smokers?"

Asuma finally turned around and dropped his carton of cigarettes. The one in his mouth slowly slipped out when he realized something wasn't right.

Obito was crying.

* * *

"Yugao-senpai!" shouted an ANBU to a purpled-head female wearing ANBU garb and the usual red commander cloak. "I sense two distinct chakras ahead! One of them is practically nonexistent though!"

Yugao nodded as they landed in a nearby clearing. Chuuko laid in a massive puddle of his own blood, and Lee was struggling to stand.

"Damn, whoever Chuuko-senpai was fighting did one hell of a number on him," another ANBU remarked as ANBU #1 began trying to resuscitate him.

"Thanks for the update, Captain Obvious," ANBU #1 replied.

"Rock Lee?" Yugao said as she steady the boy. "How are you still alive? What happened here?"

"I can tell you about my revival later," Lee said before relaying the details of the fight to the ANBU Captain.

"Yugao-senpai! I did my best but he's going to have to last until we make back to the village. I doubt he'll make it if we start moving him. His wounds could rupture," ANBU #1 said as he deactivated his jutsu.

Yugao kneeled beside the old-nin and kissed him upon his lips. [_**1**_]"Do you know why Chuuko-kun is always blurting out the chances of someone doing something?"

"Um, no. Why?" asked ANBU #2.

Yugao smiled and replied, "Because he wants everyone to know that no matter how slim the chance, there is a chance to succeed. Now make yourselves useful and bring our commander back to Konoha."

* * *

Kyo (with Gaara unconscious on his back), Harufuudo, Haku, and Sasuke arrived at the entrance of Konoha, feeling good about themselves for killing Shukaku once and for all. There moods were dampened when a ninja came running to them.

"It's horrible!" the ninja shouted as he stopped before them.

"_**Calm down, kit!**_" Kyo shouted at the scared Chuunin. "_**What is going on?**_"

"I don't know," the Chuunin murmured, "the Jonin won't tell us, but the rumor is that the Sandaime and Yondaime both died fighting Orochimaru!"

In a flash of yellow yokai, Naruto had replaced the Kitsune Lord and screamed, "_**Where are they?**_"

* * *

_Three Days Later_

* * *

"Now that we're sure Oto has been chased away from Hi no Kuni," Danzo said as he shuffled some papers in front of him, "give us a damage report, Shikaku-sama."

The Jonin Commander stood before the Civilian Council and Harufuudo and began, "Well, over 86% of the village has been destroyed in the attack. I already sent word to Nami, Suna, and Kumo for help rebuilding the village. We lost 2,000 ninja in the attack, including the Sandaime. The Yondaime, Masurao Chuuko, Momoichi Zabuza, and several others are currently in medically-induced comas."

Harufuudo chose to speak up t this moment, saying, "_**I can bring about four hundred Kitsune to Konohagakure to help protect you until the village is rebuilt.**_"

"Hmm," Danzo murmured, "How many?"

"_**I just told you how many,**_" Harufuudo growled in annoyance.

"No, boy, not how many Kitsune. How many tails will they possess?"

"_**My own council will only relinquish younglings; one to thee tailed Kitsune. My commander Hon'ei will be in charge. Oh, and if you call me, an 800-year-old Kitsune, 'boy' again, child, I'll not hesitate to kill you,**_" Harufuudo stated.

"I think our first order of business should be selecting an acting Godaime Hokage," Danzo stated smugly.

Shukaku chuckled and replied, "It's funny you should mention that. Yondaime-sama wrote on this scroll (_pulls a scroll out from his pocket_) that should he be grievously injured, Hatake Kakashi should take his place until he returns."

"He's a Jonin-sensei!" Danzo spat. "He can't be Hokage as per rules!"

"I'm getting there if you'd be so kind as to not cut me off," Shikaku replied shortly. "Now, let me read to you………'Should Hatake Kakashi not be able to fulfill the duties of Hokage, Hyuuga Hiashi will take my place.'"

Hiashi gasped in shock; he never expected Minato to make him the Godaime. Shikaku smirked at the obviously pissed Danzo and said to Hiashi, "Do you accept, Hyuuga-sama?"

Hiashi nodded and replied, "Aye."

Shikaku smirked one last time before saying, "What's next on the agenda, Danzo?"

* * *

Three figures, swathed in black cloaks with red clouds and straw hats, stood on the wreckage of the eastern wall of Konoha, looking on with apparent shock. "I never thought Orochimaru would be able to do this damage to Konoha," the tallest of three said as he pulled a bottle of water out from within his cloak.

"What was once a prosperous village is now nothing more than a site to pity," the second man said as he absentmindedly gazed out on the ruined village.

"Heh, you miss your hometown don't you?" the taller man said mockingly.

"I sure as hell don't," the third figure grunted, though the femininity in her voice betrayed her.

"You don't miss your brothers, Hanayaka?" the tall man asked.

"Not at all," the woman replied snottily.

The bottle of water in the tall man's hand began to boil uncontrollably and he smirked in excitement. "It seems we've been given the ok to enter this rathole village," the tall man said.

The other man glanced off at a part of the village that was more run-down than any other part and slightly grimaced before saying, "Let's go."

* * *

The villagers had all assembled outside of the Hokage Tower to pay their final respects to Sarutobi Hiruzen, one of the greatest Hokages they had ever had, second only to the Yondaime himself. For Naruto, Konohamaru, and Asuma, the funeral procession was a moment that filled the three with more grief and sorrow than any other moment in their lives.

"*Sniff* He's gone," Konohamaru whimpered before crying once more. "You probably think I'm a weakling, huh Naruto?" the young boy whispered. He was surprised to feel tear drops hit his forehead. The self-proclaimed Rokudaime looked up to see that Naruto was crying just as hard as he was.

"Gramps," Naruto choked out between tears as he sank to his knees to hug Konohamaru.

Kakashi, Obito, and Rin stood with the rest of the ANBU, who stood with emotionless faces, though the solace in their hearts could easily be felt. The Sandaime was the man they all desired to be like when they were Genin, a man that even now, they viewed as invincible.

"Sandaime-sama was truly one of the greatest ninja of all time," Obito whispered.

"A real hero," muttered Rin as she fought to keep her tears from falling.

Jiraiya walked to the front of the crowd and gazed at his sensei's casket one last time before saying, "My brother Naiya and I never had parents. Our father died fighting in the First Ninja War; our mother died of grief. I was a wild, unruly child; no one could tame he anger and sorrow I felt at the world for stripping me of my parents.

"I was placed in a Genin squad that would later become feared worldwide, and the man who trained me was Sarutobi Hiruzen. I gave him more grief probably than his own sons, but he never gave up on me. He created the Gama-sennin; he became my father.

"My only regret is that I wasn't able to save him," Jiraiya muttered as he walked away, a solitary tear sliding down his face.

* * *

_A Week Later_

* * *

Jiraiya chuckled perversely as he spied on women in the hot springs. "Hehe, if they made 'em like this back then, I'd never leave the house!"

"Still being a pervert, huh?"

Jiraiya turned around to see Danzo standing behind him. The Toad Sage growled in anger before saying, "I'm just having some fun. You should try it one day."

Danzo chuckled dryly before replying, "I have some urgent business to alert you of. As much as we all want to cling to the fact that Namikaze will wake up, let's be realistic: he used up over 99% of the chakra in his body trying to kill Orochimaru. This is the second time that he's one such a thing. How he survived the first time is well beyond my knowledge."

"What are you blabbering on about?" spat Jiraiya.

"I'm talking about you becoming the Godaime," Danzo stated in an annoyed manner.

"Hyuuga Hiashi is the acting Godaime; if Yondaime-sama dies, he'll take over," Jiraiya shot back.

"Yes, and he's using his power to have the Hyuuga Council of Elders thrown in jail for crimes against humanity for what they did to his branch family [_**2**_]! He's clearly pursuing more personal interests than what is best for our home!"

"I'll make a deal with you," Jiraiya said.

"Oh?" questioned Danzo.

"I can heal Minato-kun. Give me three weeks to find a way, and if I fail I'll take over as the Godaime."

"Hmm, sounds reasonable," Danzo said, "You got it."

"Guess I'll be going now," Jiriaya muttered as he vanished in a swirl of leaves.

_I trust you where successful in removing Jiraiya from the village?_

"Yes, Leader-sama," Danzo said. "The fool most likely will try and find Tsunade, and during that time, the agents of yours tha I'm housing will snatch the Kyuubi away with no one strong enough to stop them."

_If you honestly believe that's why I sent my four best agents to Konoha, you truly are a dumbass. I am not after Naruto…………at least not yet._

* * *

Kabuto and Tsumeato stood over the burnt carcass of their master, just waiting. He had third-degree burns over almost all of his body and refused to steal one of his minions' bodies. He wanted one body in particular.

"Orochimaru-donno, it isn't that simple," Kabuto finally said. "The Sandaime Hokage was the strongest Kage of the five. But to have killed the Yondaime Kazekage and the Sandaime Hokage………that is most impressive."

"You're such a pussy medic-nin," Tsumeato said angrily. "No warrior leaves a job half-done."

Silence.

Kabuto gulped and shouted, "N-N-No sir! I wasn't trying to console you at all! I was merely complimenting your skills!"

"I always knew you were a pillow biter, Kabuto," Tsumeato said mockingly. "You're just giving his ass a good spit shine aren't you?"

Silence.

"Do not play games with me you snake!" shouted Tsumeato. "I can't generate chakra without causing my life to shorten, thanks to that old man!

Silence.

"Then heal me, and I will bring you the woman you seek," Tsumeato said.

A snake shot from Orochimaru's neck and bit the Oto-commander right on his forehead. Tsumeato screamed as a vile black chakra consumed his body. The chakra faded, and Tsumeato sat on his knees, panting in pain.

"Damn, that feels better!" he laughed as he made a quick hand seal and a Tsuchi Bunshin appeared next to him.

Silence.

"Got it, snake," Tsumeato said as he began walking out the door. "Aren't you coming, Kabuto?"

"Why do I have to come?" questioned an irritated Kabuto. "It's your mission."

Tsumeato smiled darkly as he responded, "I need someone to keep that bitch alive until she gets here." With that, the Oto-commander walked out of the room.

Silence.

Kabuto chuckled and said, "He is a fool. Now you control his mind. It may have weakened you, but a small price to pay for such power, no?"

The grey-haired medic-nin walkedto the door and turned off the lights on his burnt master.

* * *

The three figures walked through the eerily quiet village, talking amongst themselves. They were searching for something, but seemed to be turning up no results.

"Gah!" the tall man grunted as he kicked a loose brick. "We've been here for a week doing nothing! I say we get a drink and enjoy ourselves at least!"

"I agree with fish breath," the woman, known as Hanayaka, replied. "I'm parched."

The other man, who seemed to be in charge of the group, sighed and relented, "Fine. Kisame-san will just keep whining until we do stop."

Hanayaka smiled beneath her hat and said, "You're the best Itachi-kun!"

Kisame grunted and muttered, "The youth these days have no shame."

"Awww!" a voice shouted in the distance. "Ookami-kun and Inu-chan are such a cute couple, don't you think Asuma?"

The leader, Itachi, cursed under his breath. "Damn it! That's Uchiha Obito! We have a flee on sight order for him! We need to hide!" the three figures darted into an alley just as Obito, Rin, Kakashi, and Asuma made their way toward their hiding place.

"I have to ask," Asuma said with a chuckle. "Are you two dating?"

"We're just getting some candy, Asuma-san," Rin said.

"I thought you didn't like sweets Kakakshi?" Obito chuckeld.

"He's trying to get Rin's sweets," laughed Asuma. His lewd remarks were rewarded with a knee to his privates.

"I'm tagging along because I have to meet Sasuke-kun not too far from here," Kakashi said to his best friend as Asuma roared and rolled on the floor in pain.

"Heh, never thought you'd be early Kakashi." The Jonin turned around to see the Uchiha heir standing across the street from them.

"I'm only on time for special occasions," Kakashi said with a laugh.

Itachi cursed under his breath as the Konoha-nin walked away. "What's wrong Itachi-kun?" Hanayaka asked as the leader walked out of the alley.

"Kisame-san, Hanayaka, go find Kushina and protect her. We've been made."

* * *

Next Time: Uncle Jiraiya wants to take my squad with him to find Grandma Tsunade, a legendary healer who can revive my dad! But where's Kakashi? He's never this late.

_A Battle of Kekkei Genkei! Uchiha vs. Namikaze!_

* * *

1- I originally had planned to make the Masurao Clan the clan of Hayate Gekko. I had planned for Gekko to be Chuuko, but scrapped him because my friend presented the more alluring personality of Chuuko.

2- Justice! Lol!


	36. Search For Tsunade II

_**Sexy Beast 1500**_: I pretty much did in the Sins of the Father Arc. But as far as the jutsu that Leader-sama uses to keep Kushina in check………you're just gonna have to wait on that one. But not for very long.

_**Shingen Takeda 1520**_: I was wondering what happened to you! I'm glad your back. Usually I have to concede defeat to you (you always figure things out), but today I can say you're pretty much wrong. Danzo knows nothing about Pein, and Izuna and Kyo have no family relation. Izuna wants to kill someone else…but hey, better luck next time lol!

Thanks to RasenShuriken 92 and Piffsheep for the encouragement!

* * *

_A Battle of Kekkei Genkei! Uchiha vs. Namikaze!_

* * *

"You're the greatest, Uncle Jiriaya! Even if you're a dirty old man!" Naruto shouted as he scarfed down his fourth bowl of ramen.

"I'M NO PERVERT!!!" screamed Jiraiya as a few women in the ramen bar he had been eyeing viewed him with suspicion.

Hinata giggled as Naruto began to choke on his ramen. "Now, now, Naru-kun. Keep tlking while you eat and you'll choke," she said as she daintily ate some of her miso ramen.

"Oy! Jiraiya-san!"

The white haired sage looked away from his grandnephew to see the Leaf's favorite silver-haired ninja and emo. "Kakashi, I keep telling you you're family now! Such formalities are wasted on me!"

"Sumimasen, Jiraiya," Kakashi said as he bowed slightly. "I brought Sasuke as you asked. My squad would love to accompany you on your mission. I just have one tiny matter to take care of before we set out. I'll be back soon."

With that, Kakashi vanished in a plume of smoke. Sasuke sat down on the stool to the left of Hinata and asked, "What did Kakashi-sensei mean? About this mission?"

Jiraiya sipped his green tea before answering, "I was tasked by the Council to find a way to heal all of those who had been injured in the battle. So I'm setting out to find an old friend of mine named Tsunade. She's the only one who stands a chance of saving all those who are hurt."

Both Naruto and Hinata snapped to attention at these words. "Tsunade-sama?! She's the best kunoichi ever! I've always wanted to meet her!" gushed the Hyuuga princess.

"She can heal everyone? Even dad?" Naruto muttered.

"I believe so," Jiraiya said as he sipped his tea.

Naruto jumped up, knocking over his ramen and shouted, "_**Then why are we still here? We need to find her!**_"

Jiraiya sipped again before looking into Naruto's demonic, now yellow eyes. "I'm just waiting for a weasel [_**1**_]," Jiraiya said cryptically.

* * *

Itachi walked through an abandoned part of the village, seemingly lost in thought. He stood on an old, wooden bridge looked at a decayed building, muttering, "Sumimasen."

"So I was right. It was you I sensed entering the village."

"Kakashi-senpai," Itachi muttered. "I was hoping you would have been hurt in the battle. I didn't want to have to do it myself." He removed his hat, revealing long, blackish-grey hair. His Sharingan blazed with many emotions, and its tomoe began spinning in anticipation of its use.

"Since you already know Kakashi, maybe we should introduce ourselves as well!" The two figures from before appeared behind Itachi and removed their hats as well.

The tall man had scaly, blue skin like a fish; spiky blue hair that shot straight up like a shark fin; and sharpened teeth. His iris were so small and black, they appeared to be tiny drops of ink on white paper. On his back was a sword wrapped in bandages.

"My name is Hoshigaki Kisame," he said with an evil smirk.

The girl had long, chestnut brown hair that was pulled into a neat bun; brown eyes that seemed to radiate a deep, lurking insanity; creamy, smooth skin; and full lips enhanced with red lipstick. "And I'm Masurao Hanayaka [_**2**_]!" the she said, "And now we're all acquainted, or reacquainted as far as it goes for me and Itachi-kun."

"So, I'm guessing this is gonna be a clean kill?" inquired Kisame as he sized up the silver-haired Jonin.

"You two, escort the Sukuro-rukuroi (_The Black Scroll_) back to Leader-sama," Itachi said, never taking his eyes off of Kakashi. "I'll meet up with you."

"But—" Hanayaka began.

"Go!" the Uchiha shouted, his Sharingan blazing in anger.

The pretty girl pouted before saying, "Fine!" She and Kisame vanished in a swirl of leaves.

"Quite the crew you have there," Kakashi finally said as he crossed his arms against his chest. "Hoshigaki Kisame, a Jonin from Kirigakure no Sato and a member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. He killed several Daimyo in Mizu no Kuni. He vanished off the face of the Earth a few years ago.

"Then there's Masurao Hanayaka, a Chuunin from here. She sacrificed twenty of my comrades to retrieve the very black scroll you've stolen from us. She vanished around the same time you did.

"All I want to know before we begin fighting…is who are you working for?"

"I work for no one!" Itachi shouted as he flung three shuriken at the silver-haired ninja.

Kakashi strung together hand seals and shouted, "Suiton: Suijinheki (_Water Release: Water Encampment Wall_)!" Water from a nearby river wrapped around his body, protecting everyone's favorite Jonin from the weapons. Kakashi suddenly leapt out of the aquatic shield, flinging kunai at Itachi, who was hot on his tail. The two landed a ways apart from each other, panting slightly.

"You're faster than I remember," Kakashi said, his Kaiten Me blazing fiercely. "Using my own Suiton chakra against me is a basic ANBU tactic. If you think that's going to kill me, then I Obito taught you nothing."

"Then how about a Namikaze original?" Itachi said emotionlessly as he turned into water. The real Itachi stabbed Kakashi in his back with a kunai, but Kakashi turned into water as well. Itachi began to glow, and then exploded, leveling the bridge the two ninja had been standing on previously.

Kakashi skid across the courtyard of the decayed building; Itachi landed deftly on the opposite side. "Reminds me now why you were an ANBU Captain at the age of thirteen," Kakashi said as he slowly stood up. "I have a feeling that you're holding back though."

"Do you know why the Uchiha Clan was revered as the strongest ninja clan in Hi no Kuni?" Itachi asked. When Kakashi didn't answer, he continued, "I have mastered the Sharingan in ways that none in my clan would have ever dreamed possible. I want you, Kakashi-senpai, to experience the Mangekyo Sharingan!"

Kakashi's eyes widened as he thought, '_Damn! How did he get the Mangekyo?_' He quickly shut his eye.

"You should have sent Obito after me," Itachi said absentmindedly as he closed his eyes. "Only someone with a Sharingan can be offered some form of protection from the Uchiha's great techniques."

"I know all the techniques of the Sharingan: Amaterasu (_Illuminating Heaven_), Raiden (_Thunder and Lightning_)[_**3**_], Kamui (_Might of the Gods_). You're not going to be able to stop me, Itachi-san."

"Obito possesses a Ninjutsu based Sharingan; I am more inclined to Genjutsu, if you recall." Itachi opened his eyes, revealing a shuriken shaped tomoe in each of his eyes. He pointed at Kakashi and whispered, "Tsukuyomi (_Moon Reader_)!"

The world suddenly became black and white. Kakashi found himself hanging from a cross, his hands and feet nailed to it to secure him. Hundreds of clones of Itachi rose from the ground, each bearing an ANBU-grade katana. One stabbed Kakashi in his side, forcing the Jonin to gasp in pain.

"Within the realm of Tsukuyomi, time and space are my playthings. And for the next seventy-two hours, I will stab you with each of these katana."

Kakashi's screams began to fill the air as the first katana bore down on him. '_It feels like it'll never end,_' thought a weakened Kakashi as a Sharingan appeared in the sky, its tomoe in the shape of a compass rose. Voice seemed to be faintly calling out to the silver-haird Jonin as he faded to black.

* * *

"Wake the fuck up, Hatake!" shouted Obito as he used his Mangekyo to disable Itachi's Genjutsu. Rin was kneeling over the downed ANBU Captain as he slowly opened his eye.

"Kakashi-kun, what happened?" Rin asked as she tried to heal him.

"A Genjutsu that makes an instant feel like three days," Obito said as he viewed his cousin with great anger. "You're as fucked in the head as Uncle Fugaku was."

Itachi grimaced at the comparison to his late father. "I am nothing like him."

"You're dad killed my mother, his sister, to get his Mangekyo Sharingan; you killed our whole clan to get yours. There's absolutely no resemblance," Obito spat sarcastically.

"Tell me," Kakashi panted as he stood slowly to his feet. "Why the Sukuro-rukuroi? We've tried to decipher it for the last seven years with no results? What's in it?"

"A guide to Izanagi's knights," Itachi said as his body turned into water.

"He finally got the better of me," Kakashi murmured.

"Never mind that now!" shouted Obito. "I'm going after him!"

"He was never really here, Obito-kun," Rin said as she rushed to hold Kakashi up. "Itachi was always able to maintain Bunshin from distances most couldn't."

"We need to send a team after him," Obito said as he helped Rin carry Kakashi toward the hospital. "To think he's mastered his Mangekyo in such a way in seven years is…scary to say the least."

"Obito, I need you to warn Jiraiya-sama about Itachi. Tell him to keep my squad safe," Kakashi murmured as his injuries ushered him into the dark abyss.

* * *

"So Kakashi couldn't take Itachi out," Jiraiya said as he sipped his tea.

Obito sat across from him in the Namikaze estate, angered that Jiraiya was so nonchalant about his friend being hurt by the traitor. "How can you be so calm? Why can't I take an ANBU squad out and find the son of a bitch and kill him?"

"Because he's impossible to find," Jiraiya replied, taking another sip of his tea. "He comes to you; you don't go to him. Kakashi trained him to well, unfortunately."

"In any case, Naruto shouldn't go on anymore missions until this whole thing is over," Obito said.

"What makes you say that?"

"When Kakashi pressed Itachi about the contents of the Sukuro-rukuroi, he said it had something to do with Izanagi's knights. The Bijuu were his warriors; it's pretty obvious that Itachi and whoever he works for must be after the Bijuu."

"Naruto and his friends are coming with me," Jiraiya answered after a particularly long sip. "Think about this, Obito-san. Suppose Itachi comes back, with stronger allies, and tries to take Naruto. Best case scenario is that Naruto will be safe at the expense of more casualties. Worst case scenario: the Bijuu with the most yokai is in the grasp of a group of mad men. If Naruto comes with me, the number of casualties will be three at most."

"Would you really sacrifice Hinata-chan and Sasuke-kun to keep Naruto safe?"

"DO you think Naruto would leave them behind to have all the fun to himself?" Obito smiled and shook his head. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a mission to perform."

* * *

Next Time: Something's fishy here. Kakashi doesn't get sick; but Uncle Jiraiya said he came down with a bug.

Open your eyes dobe. We're getting the run around. Your uncle doesn't want us to know something.

_Itachi and Sasuke! Reunited!_

* * *

1- Itachi's name means weasel.

2- New Character Bio (_Masurao Hanayaka_): Hanayaka is the only sister to older brother Chuuko and younger brother Kiokure. She was the first kunoichi to skip the Genin rank and go straight to the rank of Chuunin, as her test results revealed that of a genius-level shinobi. However, Hanayaka suffers from Asperger Syndrome, a mental disability that prevents her from being empathic towards others. The only real emotions she feels are anger and hatred. She was condemned to death by the Yondaime for sacrificing twenty ANBU to complete a mission, but escaped during the confusion of the Uchiha Uprising. She is normally partnered with another member of the Akatsuki Organization.

3- Raiden (_Thunder and Lightning_): A Ninjutsu exclusive to those who possess the Mangekyo Sharingan and Raiton chakra. The user summons a bolt of red lightning, capable of summoning Amaterasu at the point of impact, or a high pitched sound, similar to a thunder clap, which is capable of shutting down one's brain.

* * *

Hope you all enjoy! Happy Super Bowl Sunday to you all! Go Saints!


	37. Search For Tsunade III

_**Shingen Takeda 1520**_: Don't worry my friend, I've devised an Uchiha battle that would make Kishimoto-san weep at its awesomeness! But you might have to wait for the sequel for that. Evil ain't I?

_**True Hyper Sonic**_: Aw crap, my bad. I type the story when I'm supposed to be taking notes for Psychology, and sometimes I get the two mixed up. I meant to say that she was emotionally handicapped, which means I put 'emotionally handicapped' in my paper. :-/

Thanks to The Fox'es Wolf, RasenShuriken 92, and Piffsheep for the encouragement!

* * *

_Itachi and Sasuke! Reunited!_

* * *

"?!?!" shouted Naruto as he, Jiraiya, Sasuke, and Hinata walked through the forest. "Kakashi-sensei never ever ever ever ever gets sick! This makes no sense?"

"Well, there's a first time for everything, kiddo," Jiraiya replied as the group continued their trek. "Besides, we can take this valuable time together to train and get stronger."

"You'd really train us?!" Naruto shouted in excitement.

"Yeah, of course. I wouldn't drag you along with me just to twiddle your thumbs." Jiraiya stopped and pulled out a deck of white cards.

"Before we go any further, I think we should find out what your chakra's affinities are."

"Wait," Hinata interrupted. "I thought that ninja weren't allowed to find out their affinities until they become Chuunin."

"I'm using my executive power as a Sannin to speed the process up," Jiraiya replied. He handed each of them a card. "Focus your chakra into the card; something will happen to the card based on your affinity."

Hinata was the first to focus her chakra into her card. It split in half and then became wet.

"It seems that you possess Kaze and Mizu chakras. If you master these, the Kon (_Ice_) Nature will be available to you, like it is to your friend Momoichi Haku."

He turned to Sasuke, whose card had crumpled and then ignited.

"Ah, Hi and Kaminari Natures: the most destructive of the five main affinities. While the two can't mix to form a more advanced affinity, the jutsu available to you is both vast and powerful."

When it came Naruto's turn, the oddest thing happened. It split in half, became damp, crumpled, burst into yellow flames, and finally turned into dust.

"Um, what just happened?" Naruto asked as he stared at where the card once was.

"I've never seen this in all my days," Jiraiya said dumbfounded. "No ninja has ever possessed all five chakra natures. But then again, you are the Kyuubi no Kitsune."

Naruto began cheesing when he learned he was the only ninja to have five affinities. "I guess that means that I'm the greatest ninja in existence already!" he shouted smugly.

"WRONG DUMBASS!!!" screamed Jiraiya as he punched the boy in the head. "Now, listen as I explain how chakra works."

"Excuse me, Jiraiya-sama," Hinata politely interrupted. "But Iruka-sensei taught us about chakra when we were in the Academy."

"What you learned in the Academy were the basics of chakra," Jiraiya replied. "I'm going to teach you about more advanced concepts.

"Now, there are five main types of chakra: Hi, Kaze, Kaminari, Tsuchi, and Mizu. Most ordinary ninja can only possess one affinity; you three are exceptions to the norm.

"I myself possess Hi, Mizu, and Tsuchi chakras. Through hard work and years of training, I mastered the Hagane (_Steel_) nature of chakra."

Jiraiya pulled out two scrolls and handed them to Hinata and Sasuke. "The scroll I gave you, Hinata, contains some powerful Suiton Jutsu; and your scroll, Sasuke, possesses Raiton."

Naruto pouted and shouted, "Hey! What about me?!"

"I have something else in mind for you," Jiraiya said with a smirk.

* * *

Jiraiya and Naruto were meditating in a clearing away from Hinata and Sasuke. Well, Jiraiya was; Naruto kept peeking at the Gama-sennin to see if he had fallen asleep.

"The type of training I'm going to give you is all about focusing your chakra into attacking someone on a cellular and molecular level," Jiraiya said after opening his eyes.

"¿Qué?" Naruto asked, obviously confused.

"Oh, Kami. What did I get myself into?" muttered Jiraiya. "I'm talking about a jutsu that will leave a person's organs debilitated. You would be able to kill someone without leaving a mark; some would call it the perfect assassination jutsu."

Naruto grunted in annoyance and replied, "What kind of jutsu doesn't leave a mark? Sounds pretty whack to me."

_**Kit, a jutsu like the Chidori damages the physical, leaving an opportunity for your opponent to heal, become stronger, and possibly retaliate against you. If you attack a person's cells, however, you greatly increase the chance of getting a fatality, and there is no mortal jutsu that can regenerate cells without shaving off years from your life.**_

"Thanks, Kyo-sama. I couldn't have said it better myself," Jiraiya thankfully said.

Now Naruto was intrigued. "So what jutsu is it?" asked the blonde Kitsune.

"Have you ever heard of the Rasengan?"

Naruto's eyes widen as did his grin. "Of course! That's the jutsu dad created!"

"You're his son, so the Rasengan is your jutsu by birthright. Ready to begin learning?"

* * *

Haku sat on a stump in the training field, pretending to listen to Asuma as he went on about something trivial, but her thoughts were elsewhere. '_I hope you're ok, Sasuke-kun,_' she thought as hse looked at a cloud she could have sworn looked like a Sharingan.

'_Ugh, I guess Kiokure-kun and Hinata-chan are right; I do like that damn emo. But he's still a kid! I mean I'm 15, and he's 13!_'

"Haku-chan, look out!" shouted Kiokure. The ice maiden looked up to see three shuriken head toward her. She couldn't grab a weapon to deflect the projectiles, so she ungracefully rolled off the stump.

"Pay attention, damn it!" shouted an enraged Asuma as Haku stared at the cloud, which was slowly breaking apart.

* * *

Sasuke kneeled and panted as he stared a massive rock in front of him. It had taken him all of two days to master his jutsu enough to pierce straight through the boulder.

'_How much more training do I need before I'm ready?_' thought Sasuke as he stood upright.

"A whole lot more, Sasuke-kun."

The Uchiha emo spun around to see his chibi, covered in the runes of the curse mark, staring back at him.

"Your rival Naruto possesses the power of a monster, as does your brother."

"I might not be as good as that bastard brother of mine, but I'm a thousand times better than Naruto," shouted Sasuke.

"Hmph," replied Chibi Sasuke with a smirk.

"What's that for?"

"You may believe you're better, but next to Naruto, you're the dobe. Admit it; you feared his power on the bridge in Namigakure no Sato."

Sasuke looked away from his younger self, ashamed to admit he was right. "Naruto's power is like a hurricane; I need power like that."

Chibi Sasuke smiled before extending his hand and replying, "I have the power you seek, Sasuke-kun. Just take my hand."

Sasuke staggered back before shouting, "Hell no!" He strung some hand seals together and electricity began to crackle from his index and middle finger.

"Sasuke, no!" shouted the chibi, his voice suddenly becoming feminine.

Before Sasuke could fire his jutsu, he was knocked off his feet by someone's leg. He looked to his right to see Naruto had leg swept him. Sasuke screamed in frustration and fired his jutsu off into the air. A blue bolt of lightning shot high into the sky.

"_**What the hell is wrong with you, Sasuke?**_" shouted Naruto "_**You could have hit Hinata!**_" Sasuke looked over to where his Chibi had been and realized Hinata was standing there, scared out of her mind. He then stared into Naruto's yellow, foxlike eyes and could only tremble.

_You are afraid, Sasuke-kun._

* * *

"Did you get rid of Hanayaka?" Itachi asked as he took a seat on a particularly large rock.

"Aw, do you miss your girlfriend already?" joked Kisame as he sat beside his partner. His joke was met with brooding Uchiha silence. "You damned Uchiha never could take a joke.

"I sent her on her way with our cargo," Kisame said. "Ryou for your thoughts?"

"We're not going back to base just yet."

Kisame raised his eyebrows in interest and merely replied, "Oh? You can fight when and how you like, but Leader-sama says the time isn't right."

"But I got a nice bit of information when I was poking around in Kakashi-senpai's head. Jiraiya-sama took the Kyuubi out of the village with him. This may be the only chance we have to capture him."

"But we can't seal him away if his yokai hasn't fully matured yet, and holding him in a cell is dangerous because when it does erupt, we'll get caught in the crossfire. There's another reason you want to find the Kyuubi, isn't there?"

Silence.

"So I get to meet Sasuke? Can I—"

"That's a pleasure I'd like to enjoy."

A bolt of lightning shot up high into the sky a long ways away from the two missing-nin. "Hey. Wanna bet that was him?" Kisame said.

Itachi stood up and began walking in that direction. Kisame growled before saying, "I hate Uchiha."

* * *

"Welcome to Otafuku Gai!" Jiraiya said as he raised his arms to the splendor of the village. "It's the lar—"

"Largest city in Hi no Kuni," Naruto finished.

"We've been here before," Hinata said.

"Oh," Jiraiya replied awkwardly.

A gorgeous, buxom, curvaceous woman walked to Jiraiya and said, in a sultry, seductive voice, "Welcome to our city. Our hotel offers a special this week, two rooms for only 150 Ryou a night."

Of course, the price didn't concern Jiraiya. He was more interested in the woman's assets, if you catch my drift. "WE'RE STAYING HERE!!!"

* * *

Jiraiya was flirting with the hostess in the hotel bar, and Sasuke had walked away, saying he wanted to find a restaurant that sold onigiri. Naruto and Hinata sat on the former's bed, not looking at each other. This was the first time they had been left alone since their first kiss.

"Um, hey," Naruto sheepishly said.

"Hi."

"Uh, lovely weather we're having, huh?"

Hinata rolled her eyes before saying, "Look, can you just kiss me—eek!"

Naruto leapt on Hinata and forcefully kissed her. The inexperience the two had with the opposite sex shone through in their awkward make-out session.

"Mmmm, Naru-kun," Hinata moaned. Naruto tried talking with Hinata's lips on his and failed miserably. "Naru-kun, you're too heavy!"

Naruto rolled off of Hinata and looked away from her. "Naru-kun, what's wrong?"

"You hated it," he said quietly. "Am I really that bad a kisser?"

"No! You were great! You're just too heavy is all," Hinata said as she put her hand on Naruto's knee. "In fact, I'd like to keep this going."

"Oh, really?" Nauto said with a smile as he leaned in to kiss his love [_**1**_]. A pounding at the door stopped them, their lips a mere centimeter away from each other.

"Someone's at the door, Naru-kun."

"Its probably Jiraiya or Sasuke. Fuck 'em."

The pounding resumed, louder than before.

"*Sigh* What the hell do you want?!" shouted Naruto as he hopped off the bed and swung the door open.

"You will come with me, Naruto," the man said.

"Says wh—" Naruto's eyes became spaced out and slowly a Sharingan appeared in each.

"Kisame," Itachi said as the large shark man walked into the room. "Kill the girl."

"This is the fearsome Kyuubi?" Kisame said as he appraised the hypnotized Kitsune. "He doesn't even look like his balls have dropped yet! Do you honestly believe he has access to yokai?"

"Can you just kill the Hyuuga?"

Kisame sighed and reached for his bandaged sword before replying, "Ok, ok. You know I hate killing kids…before dinner at least."

"Hurry up before…"

A massive bolt of blue lightning shot through the window, hitting Kisame and knocking him through a wall.

"…Sasuke hits you with a bolt of lightning."

"Hello, brother," Sasuke said as he leapt into the hole he made.

"My, you've grown in seven years," Itachi replied as the two brothers stared at each other, reunited at last.

* * *

"_Big brother," a young, six year old Sasuke said as he ran into Itachi's room. The latter was organizing his ninja weapons absentmindedly. "Let's go!"_

_Itachi snapped out of his daze and looked at Sasuke confused. "Hm? Go where?"_

"_You promised to teach me Shuriken no Jutsu, duh!"_

"_I'm kind of busy dobe. Go get help from dad," Itachi said before taking a kunai and sharpening it._

"_But your way of throwing the shuriken is the best, even better than dad's! Everyone knows that! And all your doing is thinking of Keiko [__**2**__]! I guess I'm just a burden to you."_

_Itachi smiled and motioned for his baby brother to come closer. Sasuke smiled and ran toward his brother, eager to learn. Itachi poked his younger brother right in the forehead and said, "Maybe next time, dobe."_

* * *

_Sasuke ran through the village, rushing to get home before his curfew began. "Itachi-kun thinks he's so great!" the young Uchiha shouted to no one at all. "I've got the same blood as him! That means I'm just as good as…" _

_The young Uchiha stopped mid sentence, his eyes wide in fear. Bodies were littered across the Uchiha compound, each one bearing wounds more gruesome than the last._

"_You traitor!"_

_Sasuke spun around to see his father clutching his chest as blood began to pour profusely from his wounds. A man sat in the shadows, holding an ANBU-issued katana covered in blood. On the ground between them was Mikoto, who's head had been chopped off._

"_I can't believe you would go against us like this! I never thought you would—ack!"_

_In an instant, Fugaku was sliced in half. The man stepped out of the shadows, revealing Itachi covered in blood. Sasuke stumbled away, screaming, "Noooooooo!"_

* * *

"Don't talk like we're still brothers!" shouted Sasuke as his curse seal began to throb. "I will kill you, Itachi!"

"Just who are you people?" shouted Hinata as she moved in between Naruto and Itachi, a kunai in each hand.

"Hinata, shut up!" shouted Sasuke as purple yokai swirled around him. He turned to his brother and resumed talking, saying, "I've wanted to say this to you since you left, Itachi. I lived my life in the depths of Hell, and I live for the sole purpose of killing you. This is my only purpose in life!"

Purple lightning crackled from Sasuke's hand as his curse began to spread. Itachi watched disinterested before muttering, "Kakashi-senpai taught you the Chidori…and those marks…Orochimaru already sunk his claws into you."

"Shut up!" screamed Sasuke as he ran toward Itachi, the sheer pressure of his chakra ripping apart the wall to his left. "I'll kill you!"

Itachi merely grabbed his wrist and snapped it, cutting off the chakra circulation to his hand and ending his jutsu. In the process, Itachi looked away from Naruto, freeing him from his Genjutsu.

"Hinata-chan! Move!" he shouted as he unsheathed the Ierokitsune. "Onichishuuha!"

Naruto's yellow yokai began swirling around his sword as he brought his blade down, intent on cutting the Uchiha in half. A bandaged blade blocked Naruto's own demonic one and absorbed the yokai, effectively canceling the Kitsune's jutsu.

"Heh, there'll be none of that now," Kisame said, smoke slightly rising from his injuries. He turned to Sasuke, who was still staring his emotionless brother. "Hey kid! What jutsu was that that you used on me?"

"Raiton: Denkouhouijin (_Lightning Release: Devil's Lightning Gun_)[_**3**_]," replied Itachi as he punched Sasuke in his neck, disabling him and causing his curse to recede.

"I'm impressed," Kisame chuckled. "That's an A-Rank jutsu! For a Genin to learn it and hit me with it is quite impressive. He's truly your brother, Itachi-san."

"I would have killed you if I hit you with that jutsu," replied Itachi. "Now it's time to stop playing games before…"

A red frog garbed in black samurai armor appeared next to Kisame and punched him, knocking him through another wall.

"…Jiraiya comes," Itachi finished, rolling his eyes [_**4**_].

Jiraiya appeared behind Naruto, holding the buxom hostess from earlier in his arms. "My luck isn't that good. I knew something was up the moment this girl came to me."

"STOP LYING, YOU FUCKING PERV!!! THAT CHICK WINKED AT YOU AND YOU WENT RUNNING!!! STOP TRYNA BE COOL!!!" shouted Naruto.

"NARUTO!!!" Jiraiya shouted back. "NOT IN FRONT OF STRANGERS!!!"

"Um, guys?" Hinata said as she pointed at the two missing-nin, who were retreating.

"Oh yeah, forgot about them," Jiraiya said as he activated his Kaiten Me. He vanished and appeared before the two fleeing ninja.

"So, who is Akatsuki exactly?" Jiraiya asked. "Is he your boss?"

"Akatsuki is no man," Itachi replied.

"An organization then?"

Silence.

"You won't get Naruto, or the other Bijuu; instead you will die by my hand!"

"**Stay out of this!**"

Everyone turned to see Sasuke, standing upright, his curse activated once again. "**This bitch is mine and mine alone!**" he shouted as purple yokai exploded from around his body.

"I have no interest in you, you pest," Itachi said. "It's Naruto-kun I want."

The older Uchiha spun quickly, kicking Sasuke in his chest and knocking him out of the window. He grabbed Sasuke by his arm, dragged him through the broken glass back into the hotel and slammed him against the nearby wall, cracking it.

"Sasuke!" shouted Hinata as she ran to him, hoping to help.

"_**Stay out of this!**_" screamed Sasuke as the yokai exploded again, knocking the Hyuuga princess away and destroying that part of the hotel.

The yokai seemed to enshroud the young Uchiha's body completely, making him appear to be a being made of sentient yokai. "_**Come on motherfucker! Fight me!**_"

Sasuke rushed Itachi yet again. His brother punched him in the stomach, dispelling the curse yet again, then underneath his chin, knocking him high into the ceiling. On the return trip, Itachi kicked him in the chest, breaking his sternum. The disgraced Uchiha grabbed Sasuke by his neck and slammed him against the wall and looked him in the eyes, Sharingan to Sharingan.

* * *

The world slowly turned black and white as Sasuke saw his parents standing before him.

"M-Mom? D-Dad?" he whispered as he began walking toward them.

Itachi appeared behind them and said, "For the next 24 hours, you will relieve this moment." He summoned a katana and sliced Mikoto's head off.

"Noo!" screamed Sasuke as the worst moment of his life replayed yet again.

* * *

It was over. Sasuke dropped to the floor, gasping from the pain of his injuries. Itachi looked at him, his hair obscuring his eyes.

"Itachi! Stop using your Mangekyo! You know what happens when you use it too much!" shouted Kisame. Jiraiya made a hand seal, taking advantage of Kisame's momentary distraction.

"Magen: Gama Guchi Shibari (_Demonic Illusion: Toad Mouth Bind_)!" he shouted as the hall turned into the inside of a creature's mouth, and Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke seemed to slowly merge with the wall.

Itachi leaned over to the weakened Sasuke and whispered, "You don't hate me enough. That is why you've lost." His finger burst into flames, and Itachi scratched a crude kanji onto Sasuke's cheek. "You will bear my mark, until you can kill me." Sasuke's eyes shut as he vanished from view.

"I hope you two enjoy your trip through the Iwagama (_Rock Toad_)," Jiraiya said with a smirk. "Maybe you'll find a way out before you reach the back door."

"Indeed we shall," said Itachi as he looked at the wall behind Jiraiya. The Sanin realized what was going on too late, as he and the rest of the hall burst into black flames, cancelling the Genjutsu.

"Shall we leave, Kisame-san?"

* * *

Jiraiya rolled out of Naruto's room, panting from the strain of using his Kaiten Me. '_Damn! He almost got me!_' thought the Gama-sennin as he deactivated his Dojutsu.

"You guys can come out now!" he shouted as Naruto and Hinata opened the door across the hall. Naruto had the Uchiha heir draped across his back.

"Good thing I followed you guys." The Konoha-nin turned their heads and saw the black flames slowly dissipate, revealing a ticked off Obito. "I'm guessing that you couldn't kill them?"

"No, but they won't be bothering us anymore."

"How can you be sure?"

"The man with Itachi, um, Kisame I believe, kept warning him about using his Mangekyo. I think his Sharingan is injured."

"No," Obito said as he appraised his injured cousin. "That is the side effect of prolonged use of the Mangekyo Sharingan.

"Look, I'll take Sasuke-kun back to Konoha to get him medical help. Itachi shouldn't bother you anymore, but his partner?"

Jiraiya smiled and replied, "As many times as he was hit today, he'll be decommissioned for awhile."

Obito looked at Sasuke's face and asked, "What the—why is it wet? And what the hell is this on his face?"

* * *

"Retreat?" shouted Kisame as the two sat in a cave a few miles away from Otafuku Gai. "You never retreat!"

"I did it for you," muttered Itachi as he tapped Kisame in the spot that Sasuke's jutsu hit him, watching the shark-man grunt in pain. "You did a great job acting like you're not hurt, but you've been hit pretty hard. We should rest up and head back to base."

"Tell me Itachi," Kisame said. "Was seeing your brat of a brother worth it?"

Silence.

"Damn Uchiha," Kisame as he ventured deeper into the cave, hoping to sleep. The wind blew harshly, taking with it a few of Itachi's tears.

_

* * *

_

Next Time: Obito's gonna take Sasuke back to Konoha, and Ero-sennin got a tip that Granny-Tsunade is in Tanzaku Town. Guess like we're on the road again, but what if Itachi comes back? Will we really be able to handle him?

_The Legendary Sucker! Enter Granny Tsunade!_

* * *

1- A little NaruHina fluff for my favorite reviewer! Lol.

2- According to my trusty handbooks, Itachi had a lover before he killed the Uchiha Clan, and he killed her too. I figured she was an Uchiha because of how his family views their clan, so all I did was give her a name.

3- Raiton: Denkouhouijin (_Lightning Release: Devil's Lightning Gun_): The user channels their Raiton into their index and middle fingers. They then fire it at their target. This jutsu cannot change direction and is often very unaccurate, but if it hits, great damage will be done to the target.

4- I noticed that whenever Kisame shows up in the manga, he gets knocked away by some surprise attack. So I kinda made it a running gag.


	38. Search For Tsunade IV

_**Shingen Takeda 1520**_: I always thought that he didn't struggle with it enough in the canon. It seemed like he should struggle with his humanity like other Naruto villains. I mean, Orochimaru slowly drifted over the edge after struggling to deal with his parent's death, and Pein went crazy after Yahiko was murdered (not sure if Madara was born crazy or not). Sasuke was a normal kid until his clan was murdered, and that is the reason for his villainy: he never dealt with it. In the canon, he just accepted it right away, and I don't care how angry he was Itachi, he should have fought it more than he did.

As far as his attack on Hinata, it has no bearing on a rift between the two. The rift was Itachi's lack of interest in Sasuke; in short, he wants Naruto MORE than Sasuke.

And there will be a lot more fluff to come!

* * *

_The Legendary Sucker! Enter Granny Tsunade!_

* * *

The moon hung high in the light polluted sky over a town, bigger than Konoha but smaller than Otafuku. The lights from all the casinos, strip clubs, hotels, and restaurants blotted out the stars over Tanzaku Town, the infamous "Shi no Zaigou (_City of Sin_)[_**1**_]."

Inside of a large hotel, a cute woman with short black hair and tired black eyes closed a suitcase full of money with a sigh. She smoothed out the wrinkles in her black kimono as she muttered, "This is the last of the money I have. If this chick gambles it away, I'll be pissed. Better seal it up in a scroll."

In that instant, the bathroom door burst open, revealing an equally young woman with long blonde hair pulled into pigtails. Her amber-colored eyes were fogged by liquor, and her cheeks were colored red from it as well. She wore a green jacket, black pants and high heeled sandals, and a grey top that exposed and was stretched by her massive cleavage.

"HOLDIN' OUT ON ME, EH SHIZUNE?!?! WITH THIS MUCH DOUGH, WE CAN OVERTURN ANY DEBT!!!"

"If I believed that was possible, I might have loaned you some money," muttered Shizune.

"JUST GIMME SOME CASH!!! TSUNADDE-HIME WILL WIN THIS TIME!!!" shouted the blonde as she grabbed the suitcase and burst out of the door.

"ARGH!!!" screamed Shizune in frustration. "I CAN'T TAKE THIS SHIT ANYMORE!!!"

* * *

Obito stood in front of Jiraiya, Naruto, and Hinata with Sasuke on his back. They were in the outskirts of Otafuku Gai; it turned out that the hotel that the group had been staying in was right next door to the restaurant that the missing-nin from Kiri blow up in an attempt to kill Squad 7 several months before, and the owners were less than happy that Konoha brought more trouble to their town. In short, they were kicked out of town.

"I should be back in Konoha by nightfall if I don't stop," Obito said. "You better find that old hag Tsunade, old man, or I swear I'll kill you. Too many lives are dependent on her."

"Don't you worry, Pink Eye [_**2**_]!" Naruto shouted. "I'll bring her back if it kills us all!"

Obito smirked and replied, "You got guts, squirt. You better hope you don't come back to the village without the hag, or I'll kill you myself." And with that, Obito faded away.

"He was, uh, joking, right?" Naruto nervously asked. Jiraiya smirked and began walking, as did Hinata.

"Uh, guys? You didn't answer my question. Guys? GUYS?!"

* * *

Back in Tanzaku Town, an irate Shizune stormed down the main street, searching for her drunken master. She found her, standing in front of the Hitoshirezuryo (_Hidden Dragon_), the biggest casino in the Five Great Nations.

"OH HELL NO!!!" shouted Shizune as she stormed in front of her master. "THIS IS THE LAST OF MY INHERITANCE!!! YOU WILL NOT PISS IT AWAY HERE!!!"

"OH SHUT THE HELL UP!!!" Tsunade bellowed back. "I'M TELLIN' YA, THE CARDS ARE IN OUR FAVOR THIS TIME!!! LET'S GO!!!" And with that, Shizune was dragged into the casino.

Once inside, Tsunade flashed the contents of her suitcase and was ushered into a smoke filled VIP room. A group of men were playing cards, and one man in particular had a mountain of chips in front of him. When Tsunade entered the room, he snapped to attention.

"Hm, hello, my fair maidens," said the man, never once taking his eyes off of her breasts. "What brings you here, to our card game?"

"Juss tryna make some money," slurred Tsunade as she opened up her suitcase, revealing her money. All of the men in the room began salivating from the excess of boobs and money.

The head guy smirked and replied, "I couldn't take your money. How about we make a different wager?"

"Wah kinda wager?"

"If you win, all this money is yours."

"An' if I lose?"

"You and your friend are gonna share a drink with me in my suite."

"Lady Tsunade, don't take that—"

"Sold! Let's go!"

Shizune screamed in frustration and began throttling her blonde sensei.

* * *

Jiraiya, Naruto, and Hinata walked down a road, seemingly go nowhere at all. Hinata picked up on this and asked, "Where are we going? We've been walking in the weirdest directions since we left Otafuku."

"I'm just making sure that if Itachi and Kisame are following us, they've lost our trail," Jiraiya replied.

Naruto was abnormally quiet today; he was still trying to make sense of what happened earlier.

'_Kyo-sensei, who are those guys? What did they want?_' he thought.

_**They are members of an organization known as Akatsuki. It was formed before the age of the Kage as a means to protect the ninja world from itself. Each member possessed unnatural power over the five major elements.**_

_**The Akatsuki organization failed the year after the Kages came into power. A man named Uchiha Madara betrayed them, but he was killed by the Shodaime Hokage.**_

'_Uchiha? He was related to Sasuke and Itachi?_'

_**He is their great-great grandfather.**_

'_So if he's dead, who's leading Akatsuki?_'

_**I do not know. All I know is that Madara is dead. I watched Hashirama kill him.**_

'_If they were meant to protect people, why did they hurt Sasuke the way they did? And why do they want me?_'

_**I do not know why they have gone rogue, but I know why they want you. Izanagi-sama gifted the original Akatsuki with their abilities to help control demons after Shukaku killed us all. They may be trying to contain you, but the reason for that I do not know.**_

"I believe I can answer that question," Jiraiya suddenly interjected, startling the Kitsunes and Hinata. "Kyo-sama, can you link with Hinata-chan? She deserves to hear this too, considering that Naruto is her boyfriend."

_**Can you hear me, Hinata?**_

"Hai!" the princess shouted.

"From what my spy network has managed to gather, Akatsuki is a rogue organization intent on ruling the world. They managed to build a formidable army under the radar for the last twenty or so years. They have agents from almost every nation in the world, and spies in all of the Five Great Nations.

"As for their motives, I've had a theory that Itachi proved when he visited us. They're after the power of the Bijuu. You said that Uchiha Madara was the last member of Akatsuki, correct?"

_**Yes, the representative from Hi no Kuni.**_

"Uchiha Madara believed in the mythical beast known as the Jubi. He wanted the power of the Jubi, but never succeeded in finding it. That is until, the Senju Clan, in an act of trust between themselves and the Uchiha and Hyuuga Clans, revealed that they were the guardians of the Sukuru-rukuroi.

"What's that?" asked Hinata. "I've heard the elders mention it in hushed tones but never in detail."

_**It is a scroll that contains the names of the Bijuu and where they are located. It also contains half of the formula for a special Fuinjutsu to seal away the massive yokai we Bijuu possess.**_

"Naru-kun and the other Bijuu should be safe if the other half of the scroll is protected, right?" asked Hinata.

_**I lost the other half of the scroll. A ninja known as Izuna stole it and escaped from Naruto's mind.**_

"Oh yeah!" shouted Naruto in remembrance. "Who is he? He told me he was a ninja from Hi no Kuni."

"Uchiha Izuna, the brother of Uchiha Madara. He's better known as the accursed one."

Hinata and Naruto's eyes widened in shock after hearing this.

"The accursed one? Isn't he the ninja that killed all those people throughout Hi no Kuni?" asked Hinata.

"The very one," Jiraiya said.

"But that happened well over fifty years ago. He should be dead now!" shouted Hinata.

_**I have wondered that myself, but I would bet my blade that Izuna is this Leader-sama I have been hearing about.**_

"You see now why I want to be stronger, right Uncle?" Naruto said as he tightened his headband. "I have a village to lead one day, and I can't do that if I'm a weakling! So let's get back to training!"

* * *

"I wanna turn these chips ta money!" slurred Tsunade as she dumped the contents of the suitcase on the table. The waiter wasted no time dropping a huge stack of chips on the table for the drunken Sannin.

An older man leaned over to the head gambler and whispered, "Are you sure you'll win? You have almost a million Ryou on the table. I wouldn't risk it."

The gambler smirked before replying, "Dontcha know what her nickname is? It's the Legendary Sucker, and if I win, she and her friend will definitely show us how she got that name!"

The cards were dealt and the head gambler smiled as he looked as his cards. "Hit me," he said to the dealer, who gave him two more cards. "Well, my dear looks like we'll be sharing that drink. I have four of a kind," he said excitedly as he laid out four nines and a seven.

"Ah, shit," Tsunade cursed as she slapped her head.

"Don't have the cards to beat that my dear?"

Tsunade laid out a six, seven, eight, nine, and ten before replying, "I gotta royal flush!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" screamed the gambler as his chips were given to Tsunade.

"Shizune, something bad is about to happen," Tsunade remarked, sobering up seemingly.

A thunderclap shook the casino as it began raining heavily outside.

* * *

"I hate these monk getups!" shouted Tsumeato as he and Kabuto entered Tanzaku Town, garbed in navy blue and white monk robes.

"I hate freezing my ass off in this damn monsoon," Kabuto muttered. "And we're wanted in Hi no Kuni for that failed invasion attempt. I still can't believe Orochimaru-sama sacrificed half of our army on that foolhardy attempt."

"At least I had the balls to tell him he was crazy," spat Tsumeato. "Can we just snatch the bitch already?"

"In due time, my friend," Kabuto said. "For now, let's get some rest. I am tired." Kabuto walked off toward a rundown motel.

Tsumeato rolled his eye and shouted, "Fucking pussy!"

* * *

Next Time: It's been a long time since I've seen Granny Tsunade. I don't recall her being so annoying and having such a big…personality. I think they're fake.

_**Be a man and say that she has huge breasts. And you do not remember them because your head was shoved into 'em all the time. Lucky bastard.**_

_The Challenge! Master the Rasengan in Seven Days!_

* * *

1- I modeled Tanzaku Town after Las Vegas because it just seemed like it would be a town like that if Tsunade stopped in it.

2- Pink Eye is a nickname given to Obito by Kakashi (because of the former's Sharingan) when they first met. You'll hear the name a lot during Kakashi's Gaiden.


	39. Search For Tsunade V

_**Rose Tiger**_: Lol they have a dislike-hate relationship; what did you expect?

_**Shingen Takeda 1521:**_ Lol my dad's been trying to teach me how to play poker but I suck at it. Whoopsie lol. And Akatsuki's origins will be explained more in the next arc.

_**Narusakukyu:**_ Kiokure's my favorite OC and one of the strongest characters in the story. Just give him some time to control it.

* * *

_The Challenge! Master the Rasengan in Seven Days!_

* * *

The loud noise of the crowded street seemed to mute out all other noises as our three heroes fought their way through the crowded strip. For Naruto, the trek was murder on his sensitive hearing. What sounded like a tiring, raucous din to Jiraiya and Hinata sounded like one hundred megaton bombs going off at once to Naruto.

"ARGH!!! CAN WE GET OUTTA HERE ALREADY?!?!" he finally screamed.

Jiraiya pulled the two Genin into a restaurant, hoping to escape the noise. He waited until the anguish slowly left Naruto's face before answering, "Today is the last day of the Saishi no Kokuten (_Festival of Sunspots_), so the noise around here should die down. Until then, you two are free to do as you please."

Both of them smiled, and Hinata asked, "Hey, Naru-kun, wanna see a movie?"

"Yeah, lemme just get some money," Naruto said as he pulled out his frog wallet, stuffed with oodles of Ryou.

"Hey nephew!" Jiraiya shouted in excitement at seeing the wallet. "How much money is that?!"

Naruto stared at the wallet, lost in thought for a moment before replying, "Uh, $500, I think. Why?"

Jiraiya greedily rubbed his palms together and replied, "You shouldn't carry so much money around in a town like this. I'll watch it for you!"

The Gama-sennin snatched the wallet out of Naruto's hands and gave him thirty Ryo. "Here ya go! Don't spend it all at once! Toodle-loo!"

Jiraiya ran out of the restaurant, damn near skipping down the street. "You just got hustled," Hinata said, annoyed that they had a small amount of money.

"Nope, he did!" Naruto replied, a Kitsune grin plastered on his face.

An explosion shook the building, and yellow paint splashed all over the restaurant window. Naruto's thirty ryou had transformed into his wallet, with every single cent still in it.

"!!!" Jiraiya shouted from outside.

"Now's a good time to run," Naruto said. Hinata nodded in agreement as the two Genin ran out a side door.

* * *

Hinata was off practicing her jutsu by a nearby river, leaving Jiraiya and Naruto in a wooded area a few meters away.

"Pay close attention to me as I show you what a full-powered Rasengan looks like," Jiraiya said as he held his hand out. Chakra began to swirl around his palm until it formed a rotating ball. He shouted as he slammed the ball into the largest tree he could find. Nothing seemed to be happening.

"Uh, I don't think it worked Ero-sennin," Naruto said.

Jiraiya smirked and replied, "Use Ierokitsune to cut the bark off of a section of the tree."

Naruto complied, easily sling the bark off. He was shocked to see the innards of the tree ooze out.

"Like Kyo-sama told you, the Rasengan churns your opponent's innards into mush, killing them from the inside out. The perfect assassination jutsu," Jiraiya said smugly as he crossed his arms against his chest.

"…………" Naruto stared at the tree, mouth agape. "THAT WAS TOTALLY FUCKING AWESOME!!!"

"Before I can teach you the Rasengan properly, you have to master the ancient Namikaze Clan jutsu that the Rasengan was based on.

"The jutsu you're about to learn is fairly easy. It's called the Rasenshushou (_Spiraling Palm_). One of our ancestors developed the attack after seeing a Hyuuga who was particularly gifted at shutting one's tenketsu points by expelling their own chakra."

"Uh, let's pretend I was paying attention to that last part," Naruto said as he poked the tree mush with a twig.

"You'll like the Rasenshushou; it's essentially a primordial Rasengan that does the same thing, just not as powerful. But if you can master the Rasenshushou, you can master the Rasengan easy."

"So what do I have to do?"

"Start by concentrating your yokai into the palm of your hand."

Naruto closed his eyes and focused as his yokai. He could feel the energy coursing through his hand. Even though it was invisible now, he could feel its power as it began churning in his palm, distorting the air.

"Now fire that energy, Naruto-kun!" shouted Jiraiya as he pointed at a tree off in the distance.

Naruto growled as he attempted to fire the energy, but nothing happened.

"As you may have learned by now, chakra is very dense for a plasma; yokai is 100 times denser. It's hard enough to shoot just chakra; imagine how difficult it is to shoot yokai.

"Well, you get to it; I'll be searching for Tsunade! See ya!" shouted Jiraiya as he vanished in a swirl of leaves.

"Humph. Search for Granny Tsunade? More like search for an easy lay!" grumbled Naruto as he tried to fire his yokai yet again.

* * *

Hinata twirled her arms playfully as she watched her jutsu take effect. She deactivated it and sat Indian style on the ground. The Hyuuga heiress activated her Byakugan and began pushing it to its limits to see how far she could see with it.

"Urgh," she grunted as her eyes began to throb from the strain. "Seems like I can only see about a five kilometers before my eyes begin to ache. Tou-san said Kaa-san could see nine kilometers with her Byakugan. I hope I can surpass that one day."

"Indeed you shall, my Hihana-hime (_Sunflower Princess_)."

Hinata spun around to see her mother standing on the surface of the river. "K-K-Kaa-san?"

"Hello, my dear child. It has been a long time. You've grown up so much since I left. I have no perception of time in the afterlife. How long has it been?"

"Seven years," Hinata muttered.

"Wow! How is your father and sister? Oh, and Hizashi-san and Neji-kun?"

"They're fine. Tou-san is the Godaime Hokage Koho (_Acting Fifth Hokage_), and Hanabi just enrolled in the Ninja Academy. Neji and Uncle Hizashi have finally been freed from the cursed seal."

"Really? I always knew Hizashi-san could do it. But a family update is not why I'm here."

"Why are you here then?"

"To warn you of a great tragedy for the Uchiha, Namikaze, Senju, and Hyuuga Clans. The Uchiha Clan will only possess one member in a few years; one will become the world's most powerful villain and kill another. The Senju Clan will die out soon. The Hyuuga Clan will lose many members to violent deaths; these deaths will be the result of the new international war. But the worse future is for that of the Namikaze Clan."

"What do you mean?" inquired Hinata, praying that nothing would happen to Naruto.

"They will die, and their heir shall lose his humanity and slaughter many men. He'll become the most dastardly villain," Hinode said as her body began to fade.

"My time here is up. You can save his soul if you just…"

And with that, Hinode faded away. Naruto walked through the trees to his girlfriend and shouted, "Man, I'm hungry! Want some ramen, Hina-chan?"

Hinata didn't say anything; she just latched onto Naruto and began crying. A small part of her wished her tears could save Naruto's soul. The confused Kitsune could only stroke her hair and comfort her.

* * *

Kabuto growled as he searched for the key to his motel room. Being an international criminal sucked, especially when you had to wear this hot as hell monk outfit on the hottest day of summer.

'Knowing Tsumeato, that room is a filthy mess,' Kabuto thought has he turned the key and opened the door. Kabuto had no idea just how filthy the room was.

The floor was covered with various articles of clothing. Tsumeato was grunting as a woman underneath him was screaming from the immense pleasure she was in.

"Oy!" shouted Kabuto as he averted his eyes from Tsumeato's nude body pounding the smaller woman's. "What the hell do you think you're doing? We're supposed to be monks, you idiot, remember? Orochimaru-sama is going to kill us if he finds out we're dicking around out here, no pun intended"

"We're in the city of sin! I'd be a fool not to try the 'World's Best Prostitutes!' You shouldn't be such a prude and get some pussy for once in your life. Now shut up or leave; I wanna end this!"

Kabuto quickly walked out of the room and onto the terrace, breathing heavily as he tried to get that image out of his head. '_I hate that pig sometimes! He's always parading that beautiful, muscular body around, tempting me! His body is just perfect! But if he finds out I'm gay [__**2**__], he'll definitely kill me. Why do the gods have to be so cruel to make me love a homophobe?_'

The prostitute that Tsumeato was screwing screamed one last time before all noise in the room stopped. Kabuto slowly entered the room to see the woman's body. Her head rolled on the floor by Kabuto's feet. Her face was scrunched up in ecstasy.

"Why the fuck did you kill her, you brute?" shouted Kabuto as he watched her blood spray all over the wall over the bed.

Tsumeato withdrew himself from the girl's body and stood up to walk to the bathroom. He turned to Kabuto (who was struggling hard to not look at Tsumeato's impressive member) and replied, "You told her we work for Orochimaru; I couldn't risk her revealing that information. Now clean this mess up; you don't want to sleep on bloody, cum-stained sheets, do you?"

"You didn't even have the decency to take this to your bed?" shouted Kabuto as Tsumeato entered the bathroom, revealing his rear end to a salivating Kabuto.

'_I HAVE to get laid,_' thought Kabuto as he began cleaning up the mess his unrequited love had made.

* * *

"Alright, Naruto-kun. Show us what you got," Jiraiya said as he and Hinata sat down behind Naruto.

The blonde Kitsune closed his eyes as he held his right hand out and began focusing his yokai into it. He opened his eyes, revealing his Kaiten Me, and shouted, "Ninpou: Rasenshushou (_Ninja Art: Spiraling Palm_)[_**3**_]!"

Naruto thrust his palm forward toward a tree. A loud cracking sound filled the silent forest, and the tree Naruto aimed at crashed to the ground with a thunderous roar.

Jiraiya walked over to the tree and pressed his hand forcefully against it. The bark of the tree snapped like peanut brittle, and Jiraiya could only smirk with pride as he turned to his nephew.

"Ready to learn the Rasengan?" he asked.

* * *

Obito stood outside the operating room, anxious to find out if his cousin had survived the injuries Itachi placed upon him. Footsteps jarred him back to the world of the living, and he turned to see Haku walking down the hall. She was rubbing a bandaged wrist with a look of discomfort, but looked up, saw Obito, and smiled.

"Konnichiwa, Obito-sensei. Are you ok?" she asked after seeing the nervousness on the Uchiha head's face.

"It's Sasuke-kun. He was hurt really bad during his mission outside the village."

Haku's whole world seemed to collapse. "What…What happened?"

"He was attacked by a missing-nin. His jaw, sternum, and wrist are broken, and he was placed under a genjutsu that really left him screwed in the head. I don't know if he'll make it out alive."

A medic-nin opened the door and walked over to Obito. "Are you the legal guardian of the boy? I have some bad news."

* * *

Naruto panted as he looked at the trees he had sent his Rasengan into. He cut them open and watched its innards spill out. He felt each pile of goop; to his chagrin, each tree's goop wasn't as liquid-like as the tree Jiraiya had hit. The goop Naruto produced still had solid chunks in it.

"Oy! Naruto-kun!"

The blonde Kitsune turned around to see Hinata gesturing for him to come to her. "Jiraiya-sama is going to take us out to eat! Come on!"

Naruto shook his head and shouted, "I'm not going anywhere until I've finished learning the Rasengan!"

Hinata smiled and said, "But Jiraiya-sama found an all you can eat ramen shop."

Naruto appeared near Hinata, grabbed her by her waist, and vanished faster than you could say 'Instant Noodles!'

* * *

Tsunade sat at a slot machine, amazed by its readings. "Triple sevens," muttered Tsunade as coins spilled out of the machine. "Shizune, this is the tenth time I've won, huh?"

"Actually, the fifteenth. You were smacked the first five times," corrected Shizune.

"Something really bad is going to happen. I can feel it."

"You need to stop worrying so much," Shizune replied. "Maybe for once, Kami wants you to have a shred of luck."

Tsunade didn't reply; she just scooped up her winnings into several buckets and made her way to the cashier to exchange the coins for bills.

"Hey, wanna get something to eat, Tsunade-sensei? I'm in the mood for some ramen," Shizune remarked as they spilled their earnings out onto the counter.

"No," replied Tsunade. "Let's just get our cash and get outta here. I have a bad feeling about this."

"What?!" shouted Shizune. "We haven't even seen the Kikyo Castle yet!"

Tsunade stopped walking, spun around, tackled Shizune, and screamed as a blue wave of energy sped past them. It collided with the casino, causing it to explode.

"Your reputation precedes you, Tsunade. I'm honored to be in the presence of such a beautiful goddess," Tsumeato said.

"Humph," muttered Tsunade as she stood up. "Don't give me that 'beautiful goddess' crap, like the last time we met!"

A bead of sweat rolled down Tsumeato's bald head as he thought aloud, "We've met before?"

Tsunade began shaking as she shouted, "You're the one who killed Dan-kun!"

Shizune gasped in shock; the man who killed her uncle was never caught and seemed to have vanished off of the face of the Earth.

The Oto-commander smiled in remembrance and replied, "Oh yeah. The pretty boy with the hair the same color as the sky. He was one of the hardest people to kill, but I suppose I did get the job done, eh?"

Tsunade screamed in anger and flung a large chunk of the casino debris at the two Oto-nin. Tsumeato made a hand seal, and the blue radiation emanating from his sword wrapped around him and his partner, protecting them.

"My, my, temper, temper," joked Tsumeato. "That's why I'm here though."

"To dreg up the past and seal your fate?" scream Tsunade as she threw a large chunk of concrete at the two missing-nin, only to get the same result.

"What if I told you Dan was still alive?"

Both Tsunade and Shizune stopped in their tracks. "Wh-What?" murmured Tsunade.

"You heard me. Right now, Dan is alive in Oto no Kuni. If you help me, I'll bring you to him."

"I watched him die," screamed Tsunade.

"You watched the wrong person die. He and some boy named Nawaki are in Otogakure no Sato, sipping Piña Coladas and whatnot."

"N-Nawaki-kun?" Tsunade stammered, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"Yeah, Orochimaru's old student [_**4**_]. Their all there."

"But how?"

"I'm sure you've heard of the Edo Tensei, and how Orochimaru used it to cripple Konoha, no? Well, my lord can make all things possible, if you're willing to grease a few palms."

"What does Orochimaru want me to do?" Tsunade asked, her eyes firmly planted on the ground.

"What?" shouted Shizune. "You can't be serious!"

"The Yondaime Hokage burned Orochimaru-sama beyond recognition," Kabuto finally spoke up. "All he asks is that you heal him of these painful injuries and make him whole again."

"Why should I? How do I know my brother and fiancée are still alive?"

Kabuto reached into his pocket and tossed out a necklace adorned with beautiful, bright emerald green crystals. "I believe this was your brother's necklace?" Kabuto asked.

Tsunade was frozen by shock; all she could do was stare at the necklace. Shizune, on the other hand, was not in the mood for the two missing-nin's mind games.

"I've heard just about enough from you two!" she shouted as she pulled her sleeve up, revealing a crossbow loaded with poison-tipped senbon. She hit a button and watched as the needles fired at them.

Tsunade slammed her fist into the ground and watched as chunks of earth shot up to stop the barrage of needles.

"Calm down, Shizune," Tsunade absentmindedly said. "I'll do it. Just tell me when we leave."

"In seven days. By then, the full moon will be here," Tsumeato replied as he turned to walk away. '_And I will be indestructible!_'

* * *

"Whoa," Naruto said as they looked at the collapsed casino with shock.

"What happened?" Hinata murmured.

A young man who was being treated by medics looked at the Konoha-nin and answered, "It was freaky, man! One minute, everyone's gamblin', throwin' down cash and everything! The next, a bright blue light, and the casino collapsed! If it wasn't for my smokin' habit, I'd be dead now!"

"Hm, ever since Oto no Kuni declared war on Hi and Kaze, there's been a surge in terrorist activities," Jiraiya told Naruto and Hinata. "I wouldn't be surprised if this was Orochimaru's doing."

"Now that you mention it, there was a shady guy hangin' around the casino. He was dressed up like a monk, but he was way too ripped to be a monk! And he had major scars!"

Jiraiya pulled out his Bingo Book and flipped through a few pages before showing the man a picture of Tsumeato. "Is this your 'monk?'" he asked.

"Yeah! That's the guy!"

"Thank you." Jiraiya turned to his young Genin charges and said, "Let's go."

The Konoha-nin walked away from the devastation and Jiraiya began, "Tsuchi Tsumeato is an S-Class Missing-nin from Iwagakure no Sato. If he's the reason behind this destruction, that means he's working with Orochimaru."

"I heard his name before. The word is that he was the one who almost killed old man Chuuko," Naruto replied grimly.

"You should know a little about him, in case we're forced to battle him. He possesses a pair of mythical swords known as the Getseui Zente (_Moon's Right Hand_) and Getseui Sasokuzen (_Moon's Left Hand_)[_**5**_]. These weapons give you access to the chakra in the moon."

"Doesn't sound too bad if we find him in the daytime," remarked Naruto.

"Don't be foolish! Tsumeato would still be able to draw on the moon's power, albeit in a more limited form. What we have to hope for is that we never run into him on the night of a full moon. If we do, he'll be immortal until the sun rises again, or until we separate him from the blades.

"For now, let's eat and get back to camp so we can strategize," Jiraiya finished as they entered a ramen shop on the far side of town.

"Hey! Cutie! More sake! No, wait fuck dat! Gimme da whiskey!"

Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock as he realized the drunk yelling at him was none other than Senju Tsunade herself.

"J-J-*hic*Jiraiya?" Tsunade slurred as she stared at her former teammate.

"Tsunade-hime. I'd say you've aged well, but we both know that's a master illusion," Jiraiya sarcastically replied. He was met with a super-powered smack upside the head.

"Gee, just like old times," Jiraiya quipped.

* * *

"This young lady is Hyuuga Hinata, Hinode's oldest daughter and a promising Ninjutsu master," Jiraiya said as he pointed to the blushing Hinata. "And the blonde idiot with the fox ears is Naruto, Minato's son."

"Aww, he looks jus like the blonde idiot!"

Naruto didn't even hear Tsunade or Jiraiya; all he could see was breasts. '_Oh man! Those are amazing! Why can't Hinata have those?_'

_**Hm, the number thirteen seems to come to mind. You should stop drooling before…**_

Hinata, noticing the river of spit and her love's eyes locked on to Tsunade's uncontrollable cleavage, hit him with a Juken strike to the neck, temporarily paralyzing him.

"TAKE A PICTURE, WHY DON'T YA!!!"

"Ow," groaned Naruto.

_**Told you.**_

"Wha are you doin' here?" slurred Tsunade.

"Looking for you," Jiraiya replied. "As I'm sure you know, Konoha is at war and we were attacked pretty badly two weeks ago by Oto no Kuni. Some strong ninja like Masurao Chuuko, Hatake Kakashi, and even Minato are hanging onto life by a thread and need your medical expertise to survive. We need you to come back home after all these years."

'_What? Kakashi was hurt?_' thought Naruto frantically.

_**Your uncle did not tell you the truth because he knew you would go postal. Kakashi was attacked with the same Genjutsu Sasuke was hit with.**_

"I've heard. I was reacquainted with a man I've wanted to kill for a long time now," Tsunade replied, suddenly sobering up.

"Orochimaru? Last time I saw him, he was on fire and screaming like a bitch. Doubt he'll be moving around for a long time, if ever."

"No, an Iwa-nin named Tsuchi Tsumeato."

"Ah, his new general."

Tsunade said nothing as the waiter brought out ramen for all of them. "Also, the Council wants you to help Minato lead the village until he's healthy enough to handle his own."

"No thanks."

"What the fuck do you mean 'no thanks'?" shouted Naruto as the paralysis wore off. "Our village is suffering, and you say no? Who the fuck do you think you are?"

Tsunade turned to Jiraiya and said, "I always thought Minato-kun's son would be just like him. But I see now Naruto has grown up to be an uglier, brasher, and dumber clone of his father."

"What did you say?" growled Naruto as his eyes slowly turned yellow.

"Have you ever noticed the common factor in the deaths of our Hokages?" Tsunade remarked absentmindedly.

"What?" Naruto replied, momentarily confused.

"The Shodaime chased after Uchiha Madara without back up; the Nidaime stayed behind to fight when he had no chakra left; the Sandaime allowed Orochimaru to catch him; and the Yondaime never looked when he leapt."

"What are you tryna say?"

"That the Hokages always gambled with their lives as if it was money. But life isn't a commodity to be gambled away, all for the 'Will of the Fire'. All four Hokages were dumbasses if you ask me." Naruto's eyes became slits as he tried his hardest to remain calm. "Being Hokage and associated with Konoha is the dumbest thing anyone could ever do."

Naruto lost it and shouted, "_**Shut up!**_" He cocked his fist back and leapt over the table, ready to take Tsunade's head off. Jiraiya yanked Naruto back into his seat before he could reach her.

"Naruto! Calm down! We're in a public restaurant, and I don't want to get kicked out of another town for disorderly conduct!"

"_**I'll never forgive anyone who talks that way about Sarutobi-ojiisan or dad!**_" Naruto shouted. "_**I don't even care if she is a girl! I'm gonna kick her ass!**_"

Tsunade stood up and replied, "You won't be kicking my ass anytime soon, baka! Let's go! Outside, right now!"

* * *

Naruto and Tsunade stared each other down in the outskirts of Tanzaku Town. Both were still heated and intent on at least breaking the other's bones.

"You should back out while you still can, kid. I was one of the Sannin; you're just a puny Genin," Tsunade smugly declared. "I should only need a finger to defeat you."

Naruto, incensed by Tsunade's smugness, drew the Ierokitsune and shouted, "_**Onichishuuha!**_"

A massive wave of golden yokai fired off at Tsunade with tremendous speed. The Slug Queen deftly evaded the attack, but Naruto was more than ready. He used his Kaiten Me to close the gap between him and Tsunade and thrust his blade at her face. Tsunade dropped quickly avoided the blade and thrust her finger into Naruto's wrist, forcing him to drop the Ierokitsune.

"_**Argh! Fuck!**_" Naruto screamed in agony as he rolled away from Tsunade.

The Slug Queen smirked as she rapidly poked Naruto all over his body with her finger, multiplying his anguish. She plucked him for the finisher, knocking him several meters away and through a few trees.

Hinata grimaced and said to Jiraiya, "She hit his tenketsu like a Hyuuga would. To be able to do that without a Byakugan is amazing!"

"Tsunade is a genius when it comes to the human body"

"That was way too much!" shouted Shizune as she ran to her sensei.

Tsunade's eyes widened as she pushed Shizune out of the way, then bent all the way backwards as the Ierokitsune thrust at her again. The Ierokitsune came down again, forcing Tsunade to roll out of the way. Her eyes widened even more when she realized that no one was controlling the demonic blade!

'_Crap! This boy knows Kugutsu no Jutsu (Puppet Technique)?_' thought Tsunade as she leapt around trying to avoid the blade. She noticed yokai threads leading into a nearby bush and smirked. She grabbed the hilt of the Ierokitsune and black lightning coursed through her body. Tsunade shook off this pain and yanked the blade with all her might, dragging Naruto out of the bushes. She prepared to poke him, but realized too late that it was a Bunshin covered in explosive tags.

The resulting explosion sent Tsunade high into the night air. Naruto burst out of the smoke of the explosion, forming a Rasengan in his hand. He reached the Slug Queen and shouted, "_**Rasen-huh?!**_"

The jutsu exploded, backfiring on Naruto, and sending him spiraling down toward the earth. He formed a young, Kitsune-sized crater in the ground, knocking himself unconscious.

Tsunade landed clumsily on the ground near Naruto. Both stood up slowly, Tsunade amazed that Naruto was still breathing after his jutsu backfired.

"Tell me kid," Tsunade began as Naruto coughed up a mouthful of blood. "Why does the word 'Hokage' get you so riled up?"

"I want to be *cough* the greatest Kage in existence. I wanna do this *cough* to prove to all humans that *cough* demons are more than monsters," Naruto weakly replied.

"It's a fool's dream," Tsunade muttered as she thought of both Dan and Nawaki.

"Maybe," Naruto answered as he closed his eyes and dropped to his knees. "But I've never been the wisest sage around."

Tsunade walked over to Naruto and made a hand seal. "Shosen no Jutsu (_Mystical Palm Technique_)!" she said as she placed her hand on Naruto's forehead, healing his injuries.

"That was Minato's jutsu, the Rasengan, huh?" Tsunade asked Naruto as he stood up. Naruto didn't answer her. "Are you really gonna not acknowledge me? Such a brat."

"Why should I waste words on a traitor?" shouted Naruto.

"Excuse me?"

"You turned your back on the Hokage, and more importantly, your village! I don't associate with traitors like you!"

Tsunade turned away from Naruto and began walking away. She stopped and replied, "Tell you what: if you can master that Rasengan of yours in a week, I'll come back to Konoha."

"And if I don't?" asked Naruto.

"Then I leave, and you can't ever come looking for me again."

"Deal! But get ready to come home, 'cause I don't plan to lose! Believe it!"

* * *

Next Time: What do you mean she's going to Otagakure?!

I should have told you sooner, Jiraiya-sama, but Tsunade-sensei swore me to secrecy! I'm sorry!

Ero-sennin, Hina-chan, we gotta stop her!

_Rescue Mission! Save Tsunade!_

* * *

1-I have no idea what the conversion factor is for turning Yen (which I'm guessing Ryou is based on) into US Dollars so God knows how much that suit actually cost lol.

2- I always thought Kabuto was gay. I have no clue why, maybe it's just a feeling I have.

3- In the canon, Naruto needed his Shadow Clones to properly use his Rasengan. In my story, he uses his Kaiten Me. Since my Naruto doesn't really rely on Bunshin in battle, I need him to use something else as a crutch.

4- If you do some research, you'll find that Orochimaru was the Jonin master of a Genin squad that consisted of Anko, an unknown Genin, and Senju Nawaki (Tsunade's brother).

5- The Getseui Zente and Getsuei Sasokuzen (the hidden blade within Tsumeato's larger one) are rare weapons that once belong to his great-grandfather, the Shodaime Tsuchikage. It is believed that the Rikudo Sennin infused the yokai of a powerful demon in these blades. The blades allow the user to draw on the power of the moon in battle. On the night of a full moon, the user gains an unlimited supply of chakra, as well as invulnerability, and immortality. These bonuses are only available so long as the full moon is in complete view.


	40. Search For Tsunade VI

_**Rose Tiger**_: Lol to a 13-year-old boy, Tsunade's boobs are a work of art.

_**Shingen Takeda 1521:**_ The Hinata-Hinode scene was a spur-of-the-moment type of thing. And my Naruto is stronger than the canon. Speaking of Bakamoto, he actually did some good with the last chapter! I can't wait for the next!

Thanks to _**SCoTTieTHeeReSeaRCHeR**_ for the support!!!

* * *

_Rescue Mission! Save Tsunade!_

* * *

Jiraiya and Tsunade sat at a bar six days after Naruto and the Slug Queen's brawl. They waited awkwardly as the bartender poured their drinks.

"You've become more beautiful since I last saw you, Tsunade-hime," Jiraiya finally said as he picked up the cup in front of him and sipped his vodka.

"Funny, you haven't changed a bit," Tsunade quipped as she gulped down her sake. "You still look old, and you're still trying to date me."

"I was never interested in dating you," Jiraiya replied as he took another sip. "I only wanted to fuck you, truthfully." Tsunade didn't reply; she just downed her second cup of sake. "And you're an old hag," Jiraiya muttered,

SMACK!!!

"WHAT DID YOU SAY ASSHOLE?!?!"

"Nothing," Jiraiya answered meekly. Regaining his composure, he asked, "So are you worried?"

"About what?"

"About Naruto-kun mastering the Rasengan. You know any bet you make blows up in your face. I have a box full of Polaroid's to prove it."

Tsunade growled and replied, "I never did find those damn pictures."

Jiraiya smirked and said, "When you do find them, you'll feel like a dumbass [_**1**_]."

"In any case," Tsunade interjected, "Even if the kid is a prodigy, which I doubt, he'll never master the Rasengan in a week. Even the Uchiha couldn't copy it with their Rasengan! The bet we made isn't fair at all, truthfully."

The two Sannin sat in silence before Tsunade asked, "How old is he?"

"He's twelve. His birthday is next month," Jiraiya answered. "He's the same age as Nawaki-kun, isn't he? They even look alike."

"Today is the day," Tsunade murmured as her mind began to wander.

* * *

_Tsunade and Moroi sat in a restaurant, waiting for their younger brother to show up. He was late per usual, and Tsunade was pissed, as always._

"_Ugh!" she groaned in annoyance. "Why can't your brother ever be on time?! I bet if I told him this was a super-secret SS-Rank mission, he'd have slept here three nights before!"_

_At that moment, Nawaki ran up to their table and sat down. On his forehead was a brand spanking new Konoha hitai-ite. "I passed! I passed!" he shouted with joy._

_All of Tsunade's anger transformed into pride as she shouted, "That's my brother!"_

_Moroi shook her head and muttered, "NOW he's your brother."_

_As the Senju siblings' food arrived, they chattered about their day and plans for the week. "Oh!" Tsunade said as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a box. "I got you something for your birthday, little guy."_

_Nawaki pointed to his hitai-ite and replied, "This means I'm a man! Stop calling me 'little guy'!"_

"_Shut up and just open your gift before I take it back!"_

"_Fine, fine," relented Nawaki as he opened the box. His eyes widened in shock as he pulled out his grandfather's green crystal necklace. "Onee-chan, isn't this Ojii-sama's necklace?"_

"_Yup. I figured since you're the man of the family, it would be best suited on you. Now make us proud, ok?"_

_Nawaki smiled and shouted, "I don't have any other option! I'm the grandson of the Shodaime; and I'll become the Yondaime Hokage one day! Just you wait!"_

_Tsunade smiled and walked over to her younger brother and said, "Take off your hitai-ite. I have one last gift for you."_

_Nawaki complied, albeit with confusion. The Slug Queen leaned over and kissed her brother's forehead. He spat in disgust and began wiping the kiss off. Tsunade and Moroi laughed at their brother's immature actions._

* * *

_Monsoon season had begun a month early in Konoha. Tsunade ran through the streets, hoping to make it home quickly. She was ready to peel out of her wet clothes, crawl into her bed, and sleep. A flash of golden light blinded Tsunade. She knew the light meant that Namikaze Minato had arrived; what troubled her was that his squad was supposed to be in Uzumaki no Kuni, fighting in the war._

"_Tsunade-sama," Minato said as he ran to her. "It's Nawaki-kun! He's…"_

* * *

_Tsunade and Minato burst into the hospital in a flash of golden light. Jiraiya, Hyuuga Hinode, and Uchiha Fugaku [__**2**__] sat in the waiting room. The Gama-sennin looked up at his friend and said, "You shouldn't go in there. It's not a pretty site."_

"_Wh-What happened?" Tsunade managed to choke out._

"_We were supposed to be transporting a politician around the battlefield to Takigakure no Sato," began Hinode sadly. "We were following in the shadows to support Orochimaru-sensei and his squad."_

_Fugaku picked up where Hinode trailed off, finishing, "But those damned Kumo-nin ambushed us. Before we knew it, we were outnumbered. One of them was about to kill me with a Kangekiha (Wave of Inspiration) when the little guy just leapt in the way. He saved my life."_

_Minato clenched his hands tightly as he muttered, "I wasn't fast enough! I could have saved them both!"_

_At this moment, Orochimaru and Anko walked out of the operating room. "I'm sorry, Tsunade," he said as he handed her the bloodstained necklace. "He's gone."_

* * *

_Six months had passed since Nawaki's death. Tsunade sat in a war meeting with the Sandaime and Ninja Council. They were trying to find a way to prevent casualties, such as Nawaki's, on the battlefield._

_Tsunade raised her hand and waited for the Sandaime to acknowledge her before saying, "The only logical way to prevent death is to assign a medic-nin to each four man squad. The group's survival rate and probability of successfully accomplishing missions would skyrocket! That's why I would like to propose an act that would reorganize the squads, and to also allow for a medical course to be taught to Academy-nin."_

_Danzo was first to speak, saying, "I agree with you, Tsunade-hime. However, it will take time to train medical specialists and mobilize them. Do you think Suna, Kumo, and Iwa will wait peacefully?"_

_Tsunade lost her cool and shouted back, "Don't act like this isn't a personal vendetta! And where do you get off calling me –hime, you—"_

"_I support her statements."_

_Tsunade spun around and saw the handsomest man she had ever laid eyes on. He was the tallest man in the room, and his sky blue hair flowed to his shoulders neatly. His eyes were the oddest mix of blue, hazel, and green she had ever seen._

_Danzo shuffled through some papers before saying aloud, "Hm, Suzuki Dan. You're the Abe's son and the lieutenant on the Iwa front."_

"_Yes sir," Dan politely replied. "I think Tsunade's plans are the most effective way to minimize casualties. We should learn from our past and stop needlessly throwing away the lives of our ninja."_

_The Sandaime finally spoke up, saying, "The Ninja Council and I will take this into consideration. In the meantime, this meeting is adjourned."_

* * *

_Tsunade ran out of the Council Building, hoping to find the Dan. She saw him walking away toward the east and shouted, "Hey! Dan-san!"_

_He turned around and bowed. "Konnichiwa, Lady Tsunade. How can I help you?"_

"_Thank you for supporting me back there," replied Tsunade._

_Dan flashed Tsunade the most beautiful smile she ever saw before replying, "No need to thank me. You were right. I've lost a lot of good friends to injuries that could have been cured if we had a medic with us._

_Noticing that the sun was beginning to set, Dan offered, "Let me walk you home. It's dangerous to walk around the village at night."_

_Tsunade laughed and replied, "You obviously never heard anything about me."_

"_I'd still feel bad letting you walk alone," chuckled Dan. "Besides, I'd like to talk to you more."_

_Tsunade blushed before relenting._

* * *

_Several months had gone by, and Tsunade and Dan's relationship blossomed. What started out as innocent friendship rapidly evolved into passionate romance. The two lovers laid in Dan's bed, cuddling after a passionate session of lovemaking._

"_When do we leave for Iwa?" Tsunade asked as she laid her head on Dan's chest._

"_Tomorrow morning," he replied as he played with her messy blonde hair. "The sooner we get this over with the better. Then, I can lay back in this bed with you."_

"_And then we can get married, like we planned," Tsunade added._

_Dan chuckled and repeated, "Like we planned." Growing serious, he said, "I think I'm going to retire from the field."_

_Tsunade looked up into her fiancée's exotic eyes and inquired, "Why? You're the best ninja I've seen since Sandaime-sensei!"_

_Dan sat up and looked at a picture. Tsunade looked over his shoulder to see a young Dan standing with a boy with spiky blonde hair. "His name is Tomodachi. He was my best friend. We were paired up together in a Genin squad and became as thick as thieves._

"_When the war started two years ago, we had just been promoted to Jonin. We had been sent to Kumo to assassinate the Nidaime Raikage. I screwed up and what should have been an easy mission became an all-out brawl._

"_We were outclassed, out-positioned, and outnumbered. So Tomodachi did what he felt was necessary; he used a jutsu that killed him and everyone unfortunate enough to be caught in its path._

"_Ever since, I haven't felt the same way about war and battle. I don't want to charge into it head first; I want to prevent it. And that's why my dream is to become the Hokage; I want to use that power to bring unity to the Five Great Nations and their protectorates."_

_Tsunade got out of the bed, ran over to her discarded pants, and bent over to fish something out of her pockets. Dan, noticing his love's naked bum, jokingly said, "Maybe I should say stuff like that more often."_

_Tsunade stood up and presented Dan with her grandfather's necklace. "I know that, traditionally, the bride's clan presents the groom's with a dowry. I'm the only one left in my clan, and this is the only valuable thing I own. So I'm giving it to you so that you know how much I love you. But you better take care of it; I've only given it to one other man before."_

_Dan's face seemed calm, but his eyes welled up with sadness as he asked, "Who was he?"_

"_My baby brother." Dan wrapped his arms around Tsunade as she kissed him on his forehead. "Promise me you'll never leave me."_

"_I promise you that the only thing that's going to stop me from coming back to you is Kami himself."_

_Tsunade smiled and replied, "Good. Now, have you caught your second wind yet?"_

_Dan pulled the covers over them before replying sensually, "Yes my hime."_

_A loud crack of thunder blotted out all sound in the village for three seconds as the two young lovers got ready to resume their lovemaking. A soft voice, however, interrupted them._

"_Uncle Dan?"_

_Dan and Tsunade poked their heads out of the covers to see a young, two-year-old Shizune standing at the door. "I'm scared. The thunder is too scary! Can I sleep with you tonight?"_

_Dan reached for his pants and put them on. Tsunade did the same as he picked the child up and began tickling her. "Don't you worry Shi Shi-chan. Aunt Tsunade and I will always be here for you."_

'Thank you for my new family, Kami,_' prayed Tsunade quickly as they placed Shizune in the bed and drifted off to sleep._

* * *

"_Tsunade!" shouted a ninja as the Slug Queen leapt over the corpses of dead Iwa-nin to get to him. "It's Dan-senpai! He was cut open!"_

_Tsunade's whole world seemed to move in slow motion as she ran to Dan's ravaged body. Blood gushed and squirted out of the massive gash on his chest, and entrails were spilling out._

"_This can't be the end," murmured Dan as he coughed up a mouthful of blood. "I haven't accomplished everything I wanted…and what about Shi Shi-chan?"_

"_Dan, shut up!" screamed Tsunade as she tried to heal him. Blood sprayed all over her as she pumped chakra into his body._

"_My heart, lungs, and kidneys were hit," murmured Dan. "Even you can't save me, hime. Can you do me a favor?"_

"_Anything, baby. Anything."_

"_Protect my niece from the ninja li…"_

_Tsunade began sobbing and screamed out Dan's name. She looked at her bloodstained hands and began hyperventilating, realizing that her fiancée was gone, and the last of his life force was smeared all over her._

* * *

Jiraiya and Tsunade walked down an alleyway on their way to their hotel, an awkward silence encompassing them. Finally, Jiraiya decided to end the silence.

"Don't you see that Dan-san and Nawaki-kun were willing to give their lives for Konoha? How do you think they would feel if you—"

The sound of Tsunade's fist connecting with Jiraiya's head filled the night air. The Gama-sennin slumped to the ground, unconscious. Tsunade looked at her old friend once before running off.

* * *

Hinata watched as Naruto failed yet again to perfect his Rasengan. "Damn it!" he shouted as he punched a nearby tree. "Even with the Kaiten Me accelerating the speed my synapses fires, I can't get the Rasengan to work!"

"Aw, I'm sorry Naru-kun," consoled Hinata as she rubbed his shoulders. She stopped and incredulously asked, "Wait, what did you just say?"

"I use my Kaiten Me to accelerate my thoughts, making it easier for me to analyze things and even makes me smarter," Naruto replied.

_**You know what? I like him like this!**_

Naruto stopped talking, drew the Ierokitsune, and flung it into the bushes. Shizune leapt out of the bushes, screaming in shock. "Oy! You should watch were you throw that thing!" she shouted angrily.

Naruto summoned his blade back to his hand and sheepishly replied, "Hey, we're at war. Oopsie."

"Why are you all the way out here, Shizune?" inquired Hinata.

Shizune nervously looked away, unable to get the words out. Naruto could smell her emotions, and demanded, "What are you afraid of? We won't hurt you."

"It's Tsunade-sensei," Shizune finally said. "She's planning on going to Otogakure!"

* * *

Tsunade walked into the outskirts of town, toward the field that she was supposed to meet Tsumeato and Kabuto. She was determined to do this; there was no other choice.

"Ah, glad you could make it." Tsumeato rose out of the ground, an evil smirk on his face. "Are we good to go?"

Tsunade smiled at the Oto-commander and said, "Yeah. Let's get out of here."

* * *

Next Time: _**Tsunade! I won't allow you to do this! I'll kill you and Orochimaru's fudge packed servants if that's what it takes!**_

_A-Class! Naruto's Awakening!_

* * *

1- This will pop up again when we get into the sequel. It's Jiraiya's last joke.

2- Just so we're all clear, Jiraiya's squad is about ten years older than Nawaki and Anko. Don't wanna confuse you guys.


	41. Search For Tsunade VII

_**Rose Tiger**_: I was going to make this chapter and the last one into one big chapter but it didn't flow right.

_**Shingen Takeda 1521:**_ Yeah, like I said before, I always feel that Bakamoto doesn't show you the struggle between good and evil in every character. It's always all good or all evil with him.

Thanks to _**Deathbringer159**_ for the support!!!

* * *

A/N: Only ten or so more chapters after this and Ierokitsune comes to a close! After this story, I'll do Gaidens for Minato, Itachi, Obito, Tsunade, Chuuko, and Tsumeato. Then we'll get into Rosuto! Thank you all for being loyal fans all the way! I love you guys!

Also, happy one year anniversary _Ierokitsune_! And happy 17th birthday to me! Go me! Lol.

* * *

_A-Class! Naruto's Awakening!_

* * *

Jiraiya weakly stumbled through the streets of Tanzaku Town, disoriented by Tsunade's sucker punch. He had no idea where Tsunade was, or even where HE was.

'_Damn that Tsunade!_' cursed Jiraiya as he slumped against a wall. '_She screwed up my ability to mold chakra properly! I can't even hold a kunai steadily! I gotta get in touch with Naruto and Hinata!_'

* * *

Tsumeato and Kabuto stared at Tsunade as she walked toward them. "So what's your answer, Tsunade-hime?" asked Tsumeato as he crossed his arms against his chest.

Tsunade looked past Tsumeato and answered, "I'll only heal Orochimaru's arms if he agrees to end this foolish war with Konoha."

Tsumeato chuckled and replied, "Let me consult with Orochimaru-sama." The Oto-commander's eyes rolled into the back of his head for a few seconds. When they finally rolled back, he turned to Tsunade and said, "He agrees. Now come to poppa!"

Tsunade walked toward the muscular man and a solitary tear rolled down her eye. '_Forgive me, Dan-kun. You too, Nawaki-kun,_' she thought as she stopped in front of Tsumeato.

He placed his hand on her chin and smiled lecherously. Before anything else could happen, Kabuto flung a shuriken at the Slug Queen, hitting her in the neck. "Move, now!" he shouted as he and Tsumeato leapt away. "Tsunade" exploded, leaving a small crater in its place.

Tsumeato quickly leapt onto his feet and shouted, "Hey Kabuto! Remind me to get you a piece of ass for that [_**1**_]!"

"I realized that she was using Bunshin Daibakuha (_Clone Great Explosion_) after I felt a slight change in her chakra," Kabuto smugly stated as he stood up. "To think that we'd be fooled so easily is uncharacteristic of such a—"

Tsunade materialized behind Kabuto and punched him in his back, flinging him away. "Kami, do you always talk this much?" screamed the Slug Queen.

Tsumeato began bawling as Kabuto pulled himself up and answered, "See? I'm not the only one who thinks you flap your gums too much!" Turning to Tsunade, the Oto-commander shouted, "Did you really think you could betray me, bitch? Now, you'll feel the full vengeance of Otogakure no Sato!"

Kabuto leapt in between Tsunade and Tsumeato and said, "No! Let me fight her!"

Tsumeato growled and replied, "Remember who your commanding officer is."

"You might want to conserve your chakra," replied Kabuto. "While I was tailing Tsunade, I discovered she's here with Jiraiya-sennin. And you only have a few more hours until the full moon."

Tsumeato reluctantly relented. Kabuto stared down Tsunade and said, "Ready to die?"

Tsunade took the time Kabuto used to talk to leap into the air and extend her legs. She brought her right leg down, and nearly split Kabuto in half with her kick. He barely leapt out of the way and watched as the ground shattered like glass. Tsunade didn't let up; she began running the second her leg hit the ground and cocked her fist back. She planned to take off the silver-haired nuke-nin's head, but he ducked. Her fist instead collided with the tree behind him, causing it to burst into splinters.

"Shunshin no Jutsu (_Body Flicker Technique_)!" shouted Kabuto as he vanished just before Tsunade brought her fist down, creating another crater.

"Oy!" shouted Tsumeato. "Use some of that Taijutsu I taught you! Stop being a pussy!"

Kabuto materialized a few meters away and thought, '_It's like living with Tou-san all over again. He's lucky I like him; I'd have killed him like I did Tou-san._'

Kabuto pulled out a soldier pill and ingested it. He smiled as his chakra dramatically increased. He made a hand seal and said, "Chakra no Mesu (_Chakra Scalpel_)!"

Kabuto hands seemed to be covered in blue flames. Tsunade growled as she thought, '_So the boy knows medical Ninjutsu? Looks like I might be in trouble._'

Kabuto vanished via Shunshin, much to Tsunade's chagrin. The Slug Queen's eyes widened, then she leapt out of the way as Kabuto burst out of the ground. Tsunade punched downward, but Kabuto vanished using Shunshin. She attempted to roundhouse kick Kabuto, who popped up behind her, only for him to vanish again. When Kabuto appeared again, he grabbed Tsunade's stomach and arm, cutting the tendons in them with his jutsu. Tsunade hit the ground harshly as Kabuto slid a few yards back.

"Luckily for you, Chakra no Mesu needs to be performed from a stationary point to be fatal. Otherwise, I'd have killed you by now," Kabuto said, his trademark smugness irking Tsunade. "But taking away your monster strength is a plus."

Kabuto used Shunshin to appear before Tsunade and tried to hit her in the neck. The Slug Queen slapped his hand away, causing the silver-haired nuke-nin to hit her in the chest. Tsunade dropped to her knees, coughing up blood.

"Oh yeah!" shouted Tsumeato. "Got her on her knees, and you didn't even have to buy her dinner!"

Kabuto growled at his comrade's lecherous comment and shouted, "Can you not think about sex for once in your—"

Tsunade jumped up and punched Kabuto with enough force to cave his chest in. He rolled away and thought to himself, '_That fat cow's udders must have save her from my attack! I have to remember to cut those off._'

Kabuto attempted to stand up, but Tsunade grabbed his leg and squeezed. The sickening sound of bones being crushed and Kabuto's bloodcurdling screams filled the air of the plains. Tsunade then punched Kabuto in the face, nearly knocking his head off. Kabuto made a hand seal, and blue chakra enveloped his body, healing his injuries.

"Ready for round two, Tsunade?" Kabuto smugly asked.

"How about fighting me?"

Kabuto whipped around to see Naruto, Shizune, and Hinata standing a few meters away. "Leave the old hag alone!" shouted Naruto as he drew his Ierokitsune.

"What the squirt said."

Jiraiya had appeared in a swirl of leaves behind them.

Tsumeato growled and said to himself, "Ah, shit."

"Ah, Naruto-kun," Kabuto said as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Before Naruto could reply, Tsunade shoved him out of the way and sprinted toward Kabuto. The latter acted quickly, pulling a kunai out of his pouch. He brought the blade to his wrist and slashed it open just as Tsunade reached him, spraying blood all over her. The Slug Queen froze, shaking as the blood trickled down her face. Kabuto then punched her, sending her flying into Jiraiya.

"I knew something wasn't right with you the moment I smelled you," said Naruto as he began walking toward Kabuto. "You smelled like snake oil. And Orochimaru smelled like snake oil. I wasn't able to focus on it, but now I see that you're his servant, aren't you?"

"It took you two and half weeks to figure out what a real ninja would have in a few hours," Kabuto smugly replied. "This is why you have no talent as a ninja. If you did, maybe you'd have one up on Sasuke-kun."

Naruto's eyes began to slit and turn yellow as he tightened his grip on the Ierokitsune. "Don't try to make a scary face," continued Kabuto. "You may be the Kyuubi no Kitsune, but in front of the Sannin and Tsuchi Tsumeato, you're a gnat waiting to be smashed."

Naruto smirked and replied, "Wanna bet?"

The black blade of the Ierokitsune touched Kabuto's right arm and Naruto made a hand seal. Kabuto growled in surprise; he had no idea that Naruto had developed his Kaiten Me. "Kenjutsu: Tama (_Sword Technique: Bullet_)[_**2**_]!"

Naruto fired off a concentrated pulse of his yokai into Kabuto's arm at point blank range; the result was the sickening sound of Kabuto's arm exploding into chunks of flesh.

"I figured out real quick you must have some jutsu that heals your body instantly; why else would you slit your own wrist just to spray Tsunade with blood? With that I deduced that if I blow pieces of your body off, you won't be able to regenerate in those areas," Naruto said.

Kabuto grunted as he slowly realized Naruto was right: he couldn't produce a new arm. All he could do was heal the area to prevent more blood loss. '_Great, now I have a fucking stump where my right arm used to be,_' thought Kabuto.

Naruto attempted to take advantage of his opponent's momentary distraction by leaping into the air, intent on splitting the silver-haired nuke-nin in half. Kabuto grabbed him by his shirt collar and flung him into a nearby boulder. He then leapt to the left as Naruto charged past, attempting to cut Kabuto in half again.

The blonde Kitsune jumped as Shizune spat several senbon out at Kabuto. His hitai-ite protected his forehead, but left him vulnerable to Hinata.

"Hakke Sanjuni Sho (_Eight Trigrams Thirty-two Palms_)!" she shouted as she began sealing the nuke-nin's tenketsu. She finished with a strike to the heart, which promptly sent him flying away.

Hinata ran to Tsunade and began healing her. "Naruto!" she shouted as her chakra coursed through the Slug Queen's injured body. "Keep Kabuto away for a few minutes!"

Naruto smirked as he twirled his blade and replied, "It should be over by then."

* * *

Jiraiya and Tsumeato stared each other down, killing intent leaking from both of their bodies. They bit their fingers and began stringing together hand seals.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu (_Summoning Technique_)!" they shouted as they slammed their palms into the ground.

A small red frog, wearing a blue jacket, appeared next to Jiraiya. "'Sup?"

Jiraiya's mouth dropped in shock and he screamed, "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE, GAMAKICHI?!?!"

"You summoned me, dude. Duh," Gamakichi nonchalantly replied.

Jiraiya sweatdropped as he strung through the summoning hand seals. He slammed his fist into the ground and watched as a smaller, yellow frog appeared next to Gamakichi.

"OH FUCK ME!!!" Jiraiya shouted.

"'Sup, Gamatestu?" Gamakichi said.

"TATER TOTS!!!" screamed Gamatestu as he latched on to Jiraiya's fingers.

On Tsumeato's side of the plain, a large ram garbed in blackish-grey battle armor appeared behind the Oto-commander. "Tsumeato!" the ram shouted. "I thought I told you to fight your own battles!"

Tsumeato growled as he leapt onto the ram's armor plated head and pointed toward Jiraiya. "I think all the incentive you need to fight for me is over there, Ohitsuji-sama [_**3**_]!"

Ohitsuji looked over toward the two tiny frogs, and an evil smirk spread across his face. "Those frogs belong to Gamabunta's order. Finally, revenge shall be meted out for the lives he stole all those years ago."

"So you'll help me?"

"Indubitably," the ram replied as he lowered his head and took off toward Jiraiya.

The Gama-sennin began string together hand seals, slammed his palms into the ground, and shouted, "Doton: Yomi Numa (_**Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld**_)!"

The ground around Jiraiya transformed into a murky swamp. Ohitsuji was unable to stop his charge and ended up getting ensnared in the sticky hold of the muddy waters. 'Tsunade really fucked me up,' thought Jiraiya as Tsumeato leapt off of Ohitsuji's head.

Tsumeato looked up at the sky gleefully as a large cloud moved by, revealing the full moon. Red energy began to course through his body as he unsheathed his Getsuei Zente. "Finally, I feel alive!" he shouted as he launched himself at Jiraiya.

Jiraiya leapt away from another powerful slash from Tsumeato. "Hari Jizo (_Needle Hair_)!" shouted Jiraiya as his hair grew over his body and became hard, spiky, needles. Tsumeato's blade bounced off of the hairy shield.

"Argh!" grunted Tsumeato as he swung again, cutting off a lot of Jiraiya's hair. "The famed Arashi no Konohagakure (Storm of the Hidden Leaf) is a mere summer breeze! How does it feel to know your time is up!"

"When my time is up, I'll let you know," Jiraiya muttered as he leapt away from Tsumeato.

* * *

Hinata rushed Kabuto, hoping to seal his tenketsu, while Naruto came at him on the opposite side. Kabuto swung his chakra scalpel at Hinata's stomach, cutting the muscles in her stomach. "Suiton: Hayaitou no Kiri (Water Release: Quick Freezing Mist) [_**4**_]!"

A colorless mist leaked out of Hinata's mouth, enshrouding Kabuto. Naruto stopped and leapt away, for fear of being frozen in the mist. As the mist cleared, Hinata realized too little too late that Kabuto escaped. A scalpel burst out of the ground and grabbed the Hyuuga princess' ankle, cutting the tendons there. Kabuto leapt from the ground and spun Hinata around before flinging her into a nearby boulder.

Naruto used the momentary distraction to attempt to cut Kabuto in half. The silver-haired nuke-nin managed to kick Naruto away and heal the massive gash in his side.

"Is that the best you've got, Naruto-kun?" shouted Kabuto as he charged the blonde Kitsune.

Tsunade stared at the scene before her. Kabuto rapidly slashed Naruto all over his chest, then smacked him away effortlessly. Hinata charged Kabuto, but was punched in the face and sent sprawling away.

Flashes of Dan and Nawaki's corpses went through Tsunade's mind as Kabuto stood over Hinata's body, ready to kill her. Shizune ran to the man, hoping to stop him, but was knocked out easily.

Kabuto walked over to the motionless Tsunade, and prepared to thrust his arm through her face. Naruto materialized in front of Tsunade just as the nuke-nin sent his hand forward, striking the Kitsune in the heart.

"_**Argh!**_" he screamed as he unleashed a torrent of yokai, withering the only good hand Kabuto had. The silver-haired nuke-nin withdrew his hand, leapt away, and tried to heal it, but nothing happened.

'_It's true what they say: yokai wounds are hard to heal,_' thought Kabuto.

"_**I'm fucking fed up with this pointless battle!**_" shouted Naruto as he began swirling his yokai into the palm of his hand. "_**Rasengan!**_"

Kabuto sidestepped, then kneed Naruto in the stomach, canceling the jutsu. "I caused massive internal bleeding in your abdomen, but you're still able to move after all of that. Give up now; in about two minutes, all the blood in your body will fill your chest cavity, drowning your heart and killing you."

Naruto vainly tried to lift his weakened body off of the ground. '_Damn it!_' he mentally cursed as he finally stood up. '_My yokai is so low!_'

_**Our yokai networks are identical to…chakra networks. He has been…your energy all along. I did not realize it until…**_

The connection between the two Kitsunes died out. '_Great, just what I needed. I need you now more than ever, Kyo-sensei. How can I use the Rasengan if I have no more yokai left?_'

"Are you afraid yet?" asked Kabuto smugly. "Do you want to run? Do I inspire fear within you? You, a Kitsune? Hah! More like a little kitten!

"If you truly desire to be the Hokage one day, run now. If you stay, you'll die here, a loser!"

Naruto glared evilly at Kabuto as his Kaiten Me faded away. Kabuto walked up to Naruto, and kneed him in the stomach, knocking him out.

"Now," said Kabuto as he walked to the frozen Tsunade and prepared to kill her. "Die, bitch!"

"_**Rasengan!**_"

Kabuto spun around as Naruto slammed a green Rasengan into his chest. His body was spun several meters away, smashing and embedding his ravaged body into a boulder.

'_Amazing,_' thought Kabuto as his world faded to black. '_He was willing to use his own life force to try and kill me. Maybe he has some minor skill after all._'

Naruto sank to his knees as his world became black as well. "Suck…on…these…nuts…bitch!" muttered Naruto as he let his conscious slumber.

Tsunade ran to Naruto and began healing his weakened body. Tears ran from her eyes as she realized her efforts were in vain. '_Don't die, Naruto! Please don't_!'

"You can't die here, Naruto! I'm begging you!" shouted Tsunade as she broke down completely.

Naruto's hand suddenly shot up and grabbed Tsunade's necklace. "I…win!" he muttered before slipping back into a realm of unconsciousness. The Slug Queen barely had time to roll away before a yellow shroud of yokai enveloped him.

"I'm proud of you, Naruto-kun," Tsunade whispered as she stood up. Her eyes suddenly widened as a small blade burst from her chest, killing her.

* * *

"So your little kitten killed Kabuto," remarked Tsumeato uninterestedly as the red lunar energy coursed through his body. "He's as good as dead with all that life force he used up."

"Tsunade-hime will save him," replied Jiraiya. "Her medical skills surpass any ninja in history. And I'm your opponent!"

'_That kid has more potential than Orochimaru-sama thought. If Akatsuki got a hold of him, this war will end badly for both Konoha and Oto. I have to kill him now!_' thought Tsumeato as he rushed toward Naruto.

"Damn!" cursed Jiraiya as he gave chase. Tsumeato withdrew his Getsuei Sasokuzen and flung the Getsuei Zente at the Gama-sennin. Jiraiya activated his Kaiten Me and used it to evade the massive blade. Tsumeato expected this and grabbed the older man's leg, and smashed him into the ground, creating a massive crater. The Oto-commander charged again, pushing his blade into Tsunade's back, killing her.

Tsumeato watched the Slug Queen drop with glee. "And they say you can't mix business with pleasure," he jokingly remarked to no one in particular. He raised the Sasokuzen in preparation to chop Naruto's head off, but a hand grabbed Tsumeato's ankle.

"I…won't…I won't…allow this," grunted Tsunade in pain. "I…I…will…will protect…Konoha. From now on, I too…shall risk my life for…for Konoha!"

Tsumeato began laughing maniacally, and then shouted, "What a life so foolishly wasted!" He swung the Sasokuzen again, this time slitting Tsundae's throat.

By now, Hinata and Jiraiya awoke. The Gama-sennin and Hyuuga princess began making hand seals, intent on slowing the Oto-commander down. He wasn't fast enough, as the evil man brought his blade down. Tsunade leapt into the way, being pierced in the back with the Sasokuzen. She spun around and punched Tsumeato in the face, knocking him back a few feet.

"I refuse to die here while Konoha needs me!" shouted Tsunade as she removed the blade and made a hand seal. "Infuin: Kai (_Yin Seal: Release_)!"

The blue diamond on Tsunade's forehead began to glow brightly as Tsunade made a second hand seal. "Sozo Saisei (_Creation Rebirth_)!"

All of Tsunade's wounds magically vanished as her chakra was rapidly restored. The diamond vanished from Tsunade's head as the jutsu stopped. Tsunade bit her thumb and made the summoning hand seals. She slammed her palm into the ground and a giant white and blue slug materialized next to her.

"Free at last!" Ohitsuji shouted as he freed himself from Jiraiya's swamp trap.

"Oh, no you don't!" shouted Jiraiya as he slammed his palms into the ground. A giant red frog wearing a blue jacket appeared behind Jiraiya. He had a scar running down the left side of his face, and he was presently palming his large hunting knife in anticipation.

"Gamabunta-sama!" shouted Jiraiya as he leapt onto the gigantic frog's head. "I—"

Gamabunta took one look at Ohitsuji and roared in anger. "I'll give you a free pass this time, Jiraiya," boomed the boss summon. "I've got a bone to pick with that oversized sheep!"

"Bring it on, tadpole bitch!" Ohitsuji roared right back.

"It's been a long time, Jiraiya-sama and Gamabunta-sama," the slug said, hoping to calm her frog comrade down a little.

"Yeah yeah, Katsuya-sama," replied Gamabunta harshly. "Less talking more killing!"

"This fool rushes to be turned into jerky!" bellowed Ohitsuji with a hint of humor in his voice.

A massive vein bulged out of Gamabunta's head and he roared, "BRING IT ON, YOU BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP ASS MOTHERFUCKER!!!"

Jiraiya looked down at Hinata (who had run to Naruto and began healing him) and shouted, "Get ready to use that jutsu I taught you!"

Hinata nodded and began making hand seals. "Suiton: Ameodori (_Water Art: Rain Dance_) [_**5**_]!" she shouted.

Nothing seemed to happen at first. Suddenly, a aqua green shroud of chakra wrapped around Hinata's frame and clouds formed high into the sky, blocking the moon. Rain fell, pelting all the ninja with its cold fury.

"Fuck!" roared Tsumeato as the red lunar energy wore off, and with it his immortality.

"Orochimaru has gone too far," declared Jiraiya as he cracked his knuckles. "He will die before I allow him to crush the Five Nations!"

"His time as a Sanin is over!" shouted Tsunade as Katsuya struck first.

"Zeshi Nensan (_Thousand Fanged Acid_)!" she shouted as a massive flood of foul smelling, yellow liquid sprayed from her mouth toward the battle ram.

Ohitsuji used his impressive speed to dodge the attack and charged the slug. Gamabunta leapt in between the two boss summons and swung his knife at the ram's neck, forcing him to stop and lower his head. The knife bounced harmlessly off of his armor.

Katsuya lifted herself into the air and shouted, "Namekuji Rendan (_Slug Barrage_)!"

Her body exploded into thousands of smaller slugs that fired at Ohitsuji, bombarding him and leaving him immobile. "Ninpou: Otakebi (_Ninja Art: Roar_)[_**6**_]!" as he bleated.

The harsh sound disrupted the jutsu and left Gamabunta open for an attack. Ohitsuji bit the hilt of Gamabunta's knife, took it out of his grasp, and flung it at the frog boss while Katsuya reformed.

Gamabunta leapt out of the way, narrowly avoiding being run through by his own blade. Said blade embedded itself in the ground in front of Katsuya.

"Gamabunta-sama, gimme some oil!" shouted Jiraiya as he made hand seals.

The frog boss followed suit and shouted, "Gama Yuendan (_Frog Oil Cannon_)!"

Gamabunta spat out a massive stream of oil, and it was followed by a massive stream of flames spat out by Jiraiya. The two merged, forming an even bigger stream of fire that razed Ohitsuji and the terrain in front of them. The rain couldn't put out the flames, whose intense heat was melting rocks all around them.

Jiraiya quickly noticed that Ohitsuji's armor lay discarded in the inferno, melting from the heat. The ground in front of them exploded and the battle ram shot out of it, intent on headbutting Gamabunta square in the face. The frog boss grabbed Ohitsuji by the horns, locking the two in a power struggle.

"Jiraiya! Get the fuck outta my way!"

Jiraiya looked up to see Gamabunta's knife bearing down on Ohitsuji. Tsunade stood on the massive hilt, trying to maneuver it to hit the ram in its head. Gamabunta leapt out of the way just as the blade pierced through Ohitsuji's skull, killing it once and for all.

Tsumeato ran up the length of the blade as he summoned the Getsuei Zente. He leapt onto the hilt and charged the Slug Queen.

Tsunade deftly dodged his slash, grabbed his arm, and yanked the nuke-nin toward her. She punched him in the face with all her might, shattering his jaw in the process. Tsunade watched with glee as Tsumeato's body formed a massive crater in the ground.

Kabuto suddenly appeared next to Tsumeato's body. "Unlike this lumbering brute, I know when we're beat. Until we meet again," declared Kabuto as he merged with the ground.

And like that, it was all over.

* * *

Next Time: We're back home! Tsunade-baachan is healing everyone, just like Uncle Jiraiya said she would. But what's up with Sasuke? He seems…different.

_Darkness! The Hatred That is Sasuke!_

* * *

1- Pay attention to that; it'll come up in the last chapter.

2- Kenjutsu: Tama (_Sword Technique: Bullet_): The user fires a concentrated burst of their chakra toward their opponent. Under normal circumstances, this technique is harmless; it was designed by novice Kenjutsu practitioners who wanted an easy way to disarm their opponents. In the hands of someone with destructive energy like Naruto, however, it becomes a deadly weapon capable of blowing a hole in someone.

3- New Character Bio (_Ohitsuji_): Ohitsuji is the boss summon for rams. He is very abrasive and a bit of a war hawk. He harbors a grudge against Gamabunta for killing members of his clan during the Third Great Ninja War. He is one of the few creatures that Tsumeato respects enough to add an honorific to the end of his name. _**His name means ram.**_

4- Suiton: Hayaitou no Kiri (Water Release: Quick Freezing Mist): The user sprays a freezing mist at the target. The mist freezes the target in less than ten seconds.

5- Suiton: Ameodori (_Water Art: Rain Dance_): The user release Suiton chakras into the atmosphere, creating a storm cloud and rain. Many Suiton masters use this jutsu to produce water for other jutsu.

6- Ninpou: Otakebi (_Ninja Art: Roar_): The user channels chakra in their throat and shouts, disabling their opponent.


	42. Sasuke Retrieval Arc I

_**Rose Tiger**_: Me too. This arc was one of my least favorites.

_**Interested Reader: **_I hate reading a story where you get all the info up front. It makes the rest of the story boring.

_**Shingen Takeda 1521:**_ I hated the chapter too. I settled because I wanted to get into the last arc of the story. I promise you that the rest of the story will be amazing!

Thanks to _**Deathbringer159**_ for the support!!!

* * *

_Darkness! The Hatred That is Sasuke!_

* * *

"The village sure has changed since the Third Great Ninja War," Tsunade remarked to Jiraiya as they sat on top of the Hokage Tower. The village was slowly but surely being repaired before the two Sanin's eyes.

"No time to reminisce, Tsunade-hime," Jiraiya replied. "There are a lot of people who need to be healed, starting with Minato-kun."

"You know he won't like being healed before anyone else, right?"

"Tell him I said to get over it before Danzo steals his job," Jiraiya said as the two stood up and began the voyage to the hospital.

* * *

Minato slowly opened his eyes, unsure of what had happened. One minute, he had been fighting Orochimaru, the next minute, darkness. The first thing the Yondaime noticed when he awoke was that he was floating in water. The second thing he noticed was that he was naked.

"_So Namikaze Minato graces us with his presence at last. I was beginning to think you would move on to the other side._"

Minato sat up and quickly took note of his surroundings. He was sitting in a waist deep pool of water in the middle of a rock on a mountain. He figured by the clouds, which looked like small drops of white out below him. Minato looked up, hoping to find the mountain peak, but the mountain continued to climb far beyond Minato's line of sight.

'_Where the hell am I?_' thought Minato as he stood up. '_There's no mountain peak on earth this high above the clouds, and there damn sure isn't a mountain this high before reaching the peak!_'

A man walked in front of Minato. He had neatly kept brown hair, and soulless, lavender eyes. His pale skin was unblemished, and his frail body was adorned by a white battle kimono. The most striking thing about this man was the large, white wings attached to his back.

"_Relax, you're not dead,_" the angel remarked, as if reading Minato's mind. "_At least, not yet, anyway._"

"Where the hell am I?" shouted Minato. "And who are you?"

"_I'm Simiel, Proclaimer of Izanagi [__**1**__]! And this place is called Itadaki no Karasu (_Spire of Ravens_), or the afterlife, as you humans call it._"

"Why am I here?"

"_Izanagi-sama requested that your soul be brought here to protect you from his brother, Shinigami. And I'm here to give you a warning before you get sent back to the Realm of the Living._"

"A warning about what?"

"_You will be betrayed by your loved one. She will kill you three years from this day._"

Minato's steely face suddenly cracked. "What are you talking about, 'she'? The only woman I ever loved died a long time ago."

"_I wish I could tell you more, but know this. Izanagi went against his sister, Tenbun [__**2**__], goddess of fate and destiny, when he saved you thirteen years ago. Your death is an important part of shaping your realm's future._"

"What are you trying to tell me?" Minato asked.

"_You humans: always asking questions you have the answer to,_" replied Simiel with a roll of his eyes.

"_You must let Uzumaki Kushina kill you._"

* * *

Minato shot up in his bed, unable to believe the wild dream he just had. He looked around to see his students, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Naruto standing at his bed, smiles etched across their faces.

"Dad! You're awake!" shouted Naruto excitedly.

"What's the date?" Minato asked.

Naruto's confusion leaked onto his face. "December 21st. Why?"

"Just asking," replied Minato as he put a smile on and began hearing about Naruto's last mission. In the back of his mind, however, one thought kept replaying.

'_I'm going to die on our anniversary._'

* * *

Several days had passed, and things were slowly returning to normal in Konoha. Most of the injured had been healed, and Minato (against Kakashi and Rin's admonishment) had returned to his duties as Hokage.

The Yondaime currently sat in his office with Nara Shikaku as Shikan's voice filled the air. "Yondaime-sama, their here. Send them up?"

Minato pressed the button on the intercom and replied, "Hai."

Shikaku spoke up finally and said, "I hear this is the most talented graduating group since us. Quite impressive."

"Indeed. I also heard that the Suna-nin have been passed as well," Minato replied as Naruto, Hinata, Haku, and Shikamaru entered the office.

Minato stood up and walked to the four Genin and asked, "Do you know why I summoned you here?"

The Genin promptly shook their heads. "I summoned you here because you have all shown tremendous bravery and skill over the last few months.

Nara Shikamaru, you have a tactical mind that, in my opinion, rivals that of your father. You have the potential to be an awesome general if you apply yourself aptly and stop being so lazy all the time.

"Momoichi Haku, I'll admit, I was very wary of allowing you and your father to join our village. But you have proven to be an invaluable asset to our military might. Your speed and stamina are unrivaled by your Genin comrades, and even match my own at your age. Please continue to make your village proud.

"Hyuuga Hinata, you truly are the spitting image of your mother. You have proven to not only have a mastery of your clan's Taijutsu, but you have proven to be very well rounded when it comes to Ninjutsu and medical techniques. A well-rounded ninja like yourself is just what our village needs.

"And last but not least, Namikaze Naruto. You have defied the odds time and time again. Since your graduation from the Academy in June, you've managed to defeat several A-Class nuke-nin, bring peace to a ravaged land, help repel an invading nation, and brought medicine back to your dying home. You've accomplished more in six months than most ninja accomplish in six decades.

"For these reasons, I am proud to promote you four to the rank of Chuunin," Minato concluded as Shikaku brought forth four pale green flak jackets and blue ninja suits. "You four are now a part of the actual army; you will be thrust into the front lines of this war. I expect nothing less than the stellar excellence that got you this far. Bring pride to your clans and to our village as well."

* * *

"I can't believe they promoted a bum like Naruto-kun!" shouted Kiokure as Squad 6 and 7 sat down to eat at Ichiraku's.

"HEY, WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!!!" Naruto fired back.

"I'm just saying, you were voted 'Most Likely to be a Kunai Sharpener' in the Academy Yearbook."

"Haha, real fun—we had a yearbook?"

"Ignore this hater," replied Satsu as Naruto adjusted his jacket for the umpteenth time. "If anyone deserved to be promoted, it was definitely you guys."

Haku cleared her throat before saying, "After the New Year, our time together as Squads 6 and 7 are over."

The jubilation at the table died as the smoker-nin's words sunk in. "W-W-What do you mean?" asked Kiokure.

"Well, Naruto-kun, Hinata-chan, Shikamaru-kun, and I are Chuunin now and will be going to fight in the front lines. The squads will have to be rearranged to accommodate the change. Starting with the New Year, Sasuke-kun will join our squad to replace Haku-chan."

Sasuke sat at the table, disinterested in Asuma's explanation. He was merely staring at Naruto with his evil eyes. '_I'm 1000 times better than this dobe! Why does he always come out on top time and time again?_'

"Because you're the dobe, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke began seething in anger as he glared at Naruto, who stared back at the Uchiha heir defiantly.

"What did you say, you little bitch?"

"I called you the dobe," Naruto replied. "How does it feel to always be bested by the one person no one ever expected to succeed? I mean, I'm the weakest of the Konoha 15. How do you explain that?"

"I chalk it up to dumb luck."

Naruto busted out with a deep, straight-from-the-gut laugh. "Are you really that insecure in your own power that you feel the need to chalk my success up to dumb luck? I possess something you'll never have: power."

"Shut up!"

"Face it; you'll never be as good as me. And if you can't beat me, how do you expect to defeat Itachi?"

Sasuke lost it and leapt across the table and punched Naruto in the face, much to the shock of everyone at the table. "I'm tired of you and your attitude!" shouted Sasuke as Naruto stared at Sasuke in shock. "Fight me right now! And I'll show everyone here just how inferior you are!"

Naruto growled as he stood up and darkly replied, "I've had it with you. Let's go!"

* * *

Tsumeato and Kabuto stood in Orochimaru's chambers, heads bowed in shame. It had been a few weeks since the failure at Tanzaku Town. Orochimaru hadn't called them into his chambers, and the two nuke-nin were actually scared.

Tsumeato spoke up first, saying, "I'm sorry, Shodaime-sama. Our failure was the result of unforeseeable variables. We—"

Silence.

Kabuto spoke next, saying, "Are you sure you want to send them? I think they should stay here in the village, in case Konoha or Suna leads an assault on our village."

Silence.

"*Sigh* I wasn't doubting you. I'll call for them," replied Kabuto.

Silence.

"You want me to bring Iwa to our side?" Tsumeato asked. "The Yondaime and I have bad blood, but if I could reinstate the Sandaime, we would have the power of Tsuchi no Kuni behind us. I'll leave right away. I won't fail you this time!"

Tsumeato sunk into the ground, intent on completing his mission. Kabuto smirked and said aloud, "I know how badly you wanted Sasuke-kun, but you'll have to settle. But may I have time to say farewell before you take him?"

Silence.

"You're a most benevolent Otokage, Orochimaru-sama. I'll go call the Otogakure no Yonin Shu (Four Ninja)."

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke stood on the rooftop of a condemned building not too far from Ichiraku's. Both Hinata and Haku were trying to talk their men out of this senseless fight.

"Sasuke-kun, I don't know what the hell is wrong with you, but you need to be the bigger man and walk away!" shouted Haku.

"Get the fuck out of my way!" grunted Sasuke as he shoved Haku out of the way. "I've had it with him acting like the name Uchiha isn't something to fear!"

"Naruto-kun, you guys are friends! You don't have to fight!" shouted Hinata as she threw her arms around Naruto.

"No! I've fucking had it with him disrespecting me! He's no damn friend of mine!" Naruto fired back as he gently shooed Hinata away.

"Hinata, let them beat the crap outta each other," said Kiokure.

"Sometimes, the best way to settle a longstanding disagreement is with fists," said Satsu to the two kunoichi.

Naruto turned to Sasuke and began trembling from excitement. "I've waited for this day the moment you beat me in Graduation Exam back in June. I won't lose here, believe it!" shouted Naruto.

"Stop talking crazy!" shouted Sasuke. "I'll mop the floor with you!"

"Eh, what are you losing your cool for? That's not like you, man. Maybe you're scared?"

"Smart move on Naruto-kun's part by getting in Sasuke-kun's head," remarked Satsu.

Sasuke growled and replied, "Your little bitch ass won't be able to scratch me on my forehead!"

With that, the two ninja rushed each other, fists cocked back. Their knuckles met, and the force of the blow cracked the roof beneath their feet. Sasuke lashed out with his right leg, but Naruto blocked the kick with his forearm. The two leapt away from each other as they activated their Dojutsu.

Naruto faded from sight and began a savage Taijutsu assault on Sasuke, whose Sharingan was barely managing to keep up with the Namikaze's speed. The Uchiha kicked out, hitting Naruto in his chest and knocking him away.

Sasuke spun around and punched Naruto (who had by now materialized behind him) in the face, knocking him away. The Uchiha leapt into the air and began making hand seals. However, Naruto wouldn't give him the chance. He quickly followed after him and punched Sasuke forcefully in the stomach. The emo-nin's body began to glow red and suddenly exploded, knocking the unsuspecting Kitsune to the opposite end of the roof.

"Raiton: Ken'inshasen (_Lightning Release: Tractor Beam_) [_**3**_]!"

A blue bolt of lightning shot off toward Naruto, ripping the shingles off of the roof. Naruto barely had time to draw the Ierokitsune to absorb the brunt of the attack. Sasuke began moving his arms wildly, yanking Naruto off of the ground and flinging Naruto into the air. The Uchiha pointed his index and middle finger at Naruto before shouting, "Raiton: Denkouhouijin (_Lightning Release: Devil's Lightning Gun_)!"

A second bolt of lightning shot off toward the airborne Kitsune, but he was ready this time. "Onichishuuha!" he shouted as he swung his blade down, releasing a destructive arc of yellow yokai.

The arc cut the bolt of lightning in half and sped toward Sasuke. The emo-nin leapt out of the way Justas the arc split the building in half. Haku, Hinata, Satsu, and Kiokure left off of the roof as the building began to collapse. He looked up to see chakra rotating in Naruto's hand as gravity yanked him down toward Sasuke. The Uchiha began making hand seals and an electric current ran through his hand. Sasuke leapt into the air, hoping to meet Naruto half way.

"Rasengan!"

"Chidori!"

Just before the jutsus could meet, two sets of hands grabbed the ninja by their collars. It was Kakashi and Obito; they spun the two boys around and sent them flying toward two water tanks on a roof nearby.

Sasuke hit his tank first; his arm ripped straight through the metal, making a three foot hole in the tank. He looked over to Naruto's tank and smiled.

'_He only made a six inch hole! I won!_' he thought gleefully.

"What the fuck is wrong with you two losers?" shouted Obito at the two boys.

"Those two jutsu had enough power behind them to kill," continued Kakashi. "You two really need to start using your heads."

"This fucking superiority complex of yours is going too far, Sasuke!" shouted Obito as he walked over to the emo-nin. "Are you trying to kill a comrade?"

Sasuke didn't answer. Obito grabbed the boy by his collar and darkly whispered, "I hope your silence means no. Otherwise, I'd be forced to do something I don't want to do."

Sasuke smacked Obito's hand away and leapt off of the roof. When he turned his head to see if his cousin was following, he saw the back of the water tank Naruto had hit. The entire back of it had been blown out.

'_He…he won!_'

* * *

Sasuke sat in the Uchiha compound's barren garden. "All of my training, every injury, every battle has meant nothing! I can't even beat some no-account dobe! I need more power if I'm going to be able to beat him."

"Funny, we came here to offer you grand power!"

Sasuke looked up to see four bizarre-looking ninja standing on the wall of the garden.

"What the fuck do you freaks want?" Sasuke shouted as he prepared to make hand seals.

"To give you a gift on behalf of our Lord," the man who spoke before replied. He had short white hair; sickly pale skin; small, beady, black eyes; and dark green lipstick. He had a second head sticking out of the collar of his Otogakure-nin outfit.

"Yeah, our Lord has had his eye on you for a while," the second ninja continued. He had mid-length black hair, pulled into a fan-like ponytail; almond colored hair; and large black eyes. His shirt had an extra hole on either side of his body; an extra set of arms protruded from these holes.

"Who is your Lord? I wanna know the name of the guy who doesn't love life!" Sasuke shouted.

"He is the Shodaime Otokage, Orochimaru-sama. And I would watch your fuckin' mouth when you speak about him! He'd fuckin' kill you before you even fuckin' knew you were dead, bitch!" shouted the only girl in the group. She had long, reddish-pink hair that reached the middle of her back, and brownish-grey eyes. She was the most normal looking of the four Oto-nin.

"You should really watch your language, Tayuya-chan," the final ninja remarked. He was the tallest and biggest of the four; he had orange hair styled into three Mohawks (two on either side of his head and one directly on the center of his head); the space in between the Mohawks had no hair on them at all; and small, evil, orange eyes adorned his face.

"Shut the fuck up, Jirobo! Who do you fuckin' think you're talkin' to, you fat motherfucker?" shouted the girl, Tayuya.

"Guys," the ninja with four arms said as he tried to stop the arguing between Tayuya and Jirobo.

"Stay out of this, Kidomaru-kun!" shouted Jirobo.

"Enough!" the boy with two heads shouted, causing the ninja to fall silent. "A powerful chakra is headed this way. We aren't supposed to draw attention."

He turned to Sasuke and said, "Listen, my name is Sakon. I was sent here to give you ultimate power. If you truly want it, you'll meet us here at midnight."

"What makes you so sure I won't tell anyone you freaks are here?" shouted Sasuke.

Sakon smirked smugly before answering, "Because I was a lot like you when Shodaime-sama came for me. You'll seek us out sure enough. Until then, Uchiha-san."

The four ninja sunk into the ground just before someone landed in the garden behind Sasuke. "What do you want, Haku?" Sasuke said angrily as he stared at the spot where Sakon had been less than thirty seconds ago.

"I wanted to know if you wanted to get something to eat, and maybe talk, I guess?" Haku slowly asked, unsure of Sasuke's answer.

"Whatever. I've got nothing better to do," he remarked as he began walking out of the garden. Haku rolled her eyes and followed after him.

On the roof of a nearby building, Kidomaru laughed and inquired, "How'd you know that he wouldn't turn us in, Sakon-senpai?"

The two-headed boy smiled evilly before saying, "His hatred is all consuming. Shodaime-sama's jutsu is beginning to work already. By midnight, all the malice and hate in heart will consume him, erasing whatever man that girl thinks she's with. Sasuke-san will leave Konoha tonight, whether of his own volition or by force."

The four ninja faded into the night, prepping for the long trek back to Otogakure.

* * *

Haku and Sasuke walked out of Umi's (a seafood restaurant) a few hours later. They ate in silence; Haku wasn't sure what to say and Sasuke didn't want to say anything. After arriving back at the Uchiha compound, Haku finally decided to end the awkward silence.

"I'm surprised you agreed to go out with me," she said softly as she sat on Sasuke's bed.

"Why wouldn't I?" replied Sasuke vacantly as he leaned against his wall.

"Well, I mean, you've been acting weird since you came back from Tanzaku Town. Everyone is really worried about you."

Sasuke didn't say anything. Haku looked over to the nightstand and saw an old, crumpled-up picture on the desk. "Who are these people in the picture?" she asked as she tried to smooth the old snapshot out.

"My mother and father, brother, and me. It was taking about six or seven years ago."

"What happened to them?"

"My older brother killed them. He killed our entire clan."

"Oh my Kami, I'm so sorry to hear that."

"I saw him."

"Your brother?"

"Yeah, when I was on that mission a few weeks ago. I tried to get vengeance for all the people he's killed, but he wiped the floor with me."

"Can I ask you something?"

"I guess."

"Why are you so angry?"

Disgust seemed to spill across Sasuke's face as he spat, "Are you fucking retarded? My older brother that I idolized for as long as I can remember murdered my entire clan right in front of me! Why the hell wouldn't I be? Have you seen your mom get her head chopped off?"

"I under—"

"No you don't!" Sasuke screamed as he punched the wall. "Maybe I should kill Zabuza so you know how I feel!"

"Sure I have Tou-san now, but in case you forgot, I killed my biological father after I watched him kill my mother! I know exactly how you feel, you fucking bitch!" Haku fired back. "The only reason I came here was because I give a crap about you!"

"Don't fucking lie to me!"

"Why is it so hard for you to see that I fucking love you, you emo dick?" Sasuke froze. Haku couldn't believe what she had just said. "I can't believe I just admitted it," Haku murmured to herself.

Sasuke pulled Haku into a hug and passionately kissed her on the lips. Their tongues explored each other's mouths for an eternity. They parted lips finally and Sasuke gently stroked her face.

"That wassss beautiful, my dear!"

Haku realized the voice wasn't Sasuke's, but her head was smashed into the wall before she could do anything about it, rendering her unconscious.

"So, am I talking to Uchiha-san or Shodaime-sama?" asked Sakon as he materialized on the windowsill.

"Do you even have to assssk, SSSSakon-kun? I'm in control of SSSSassssuke-kun'ssss body," Orochimaru smirked evilly through Sasuke's body [_**4**_] as the two leapt into the garden to regroup with the rest of the Sound Four.

"So, the curse seal is in full effect, eh?" Jirobo asked.

Tayuya sucked her teeth, rolled her eyes, and remarked, "No shit, fatass."

"Enough bickering, you two," remarked Orochimaru. "Now, let'ssss get the hell away from Konoha sssso I can eradicate what little remains of SSSSassssuke'ssss possssitive emotionssss!"

The five ninja ran off into the night, taking care to escape the village quietly.

* * *

Next Time: What do you mean, Sasuke defected? I don't believe it! Something isn't right! I don't care what dad says, I'm going after him!

_The Chase! Rescue Sasuke!_

* * *

1- New Character Bio (_Simiel, Proclaimer of Izanagi_): Simiel is one of seven archangels that serve Izanagi. He is the youngest and weakest of the seven. Simiel was selected by Izanagi because of his tremendous speed, and he is the god's personal messenger. Simiel compensates for his small stature and lack of strength with humor, witty banter, and deceptively strong tactical skills. His weapon of choice is a bow and arrow.

2- New Character Bio (_Tenbun_): Tenbun is the goddess of fate and destiny. She plans out the lives of every living creature in the universe and dares them to go against her, hoping to inspire us to be better people. _**Her name means destiny.**_

3- Raiton: Ken'inshasen (_Lightning Release: Tractor Beam_): The user fires a focused lightning bolt at their target. The bolt can be manipulated to move the target while sending an electric shock to the target as well.

4- From now on until the end of the Sasuke Retrieval Arc, I'll be referring to Sasuke as Orochimaru.


	43. Sasuke Retrieval Arc II

_**Rose Tiger**_: Don't worry about Sasuke. I have plans for him.

_**Shingen Takeda 1521:**_ I have this idea in my head for the next story involving the Namikaze family, particularly Kushina and Minato. As for whether or not killing Minato will be a conscientious decision on Kushina's part…I'm not telling =P! But I will say that she'll never become a willing member of Akatsuki.

As far as the Haku/Sasuke relationship, I refuse to allow it to become anything like that garbage Bakamoto has been giving us for two months now. I'll admit I'm still not sure about what I'm going to do with Sasuke, but no matter what Haku won't be a brunette Sakura when it comes to him.

And sorry guy, but I won't really touch NaruHina until the last two chapters.

Thanks to _**Deathbringer159**_ for the support!!!

* * *

_The Chase! Rescue Sasuke!_

* * *

Light shone through Sasuke's bedroom window as the sun slowly peaked its head from beneath the horizon. Haku's eyes fluttered as she tried to get her bearings. Through her massive headache, she managed to remember the events of the night and mentally cursed.

'_I have to warn the Hokage!_' she thought as she leapt out of the window and dashed toward the Hokage Tower.

* * *

Minato slept peacefully at his desk, drooling all over the mountain of paperwork on it. He had stayed late, hoping to complete some long overdue work, but ended up falling asleep instead. The sounds of arguing in front of his closed door slowly roused him from his sleep.

"You can't go in there without an appoint—ACK!"

The door burst open as Haku ran past Shizune. "Hokage-sama! Something really bad happened last night!"

Before Haku could continue, Naruto and Shikamaru strolled into the open door. "Hey, where's Shikan?"

"Never mind that!" shouted Haku. "Sasuke-kun's…he's…I think he's defecting!"

Naruto's whole world seemed to stop when he heard this. '_Sasuke would never leave the village…right?_'

_**I would not be surprised. He is an Uchiha; they cannot be trusted.**_

"Dad, you gotta let me and Hinata go after him!" shouted Naruto.

Minato was quiet for a long time before saying, "I can't."

Yokai burst from Naruto's body, forcing Shikamaru to leap away. "_**Excuse me? Sasuke must be being controlled by Orochimaru or something! I can't see him running away out of the blue like this!**_"

"Put the angry demon flames away, Naruto-kun," replied Minato. "I'll put it to you like this: you can't save Sasuke if he's already left Hi. I'd never be allowed to sanction an invasion on Otogakure to save one ninja who, for all we know, did in fact leave on his own accord. But…if you go for a 'walk' to the countryside, no one would be able to question your whereabouts. [_**1**_]"

Naruto smirked as he prepared to run out of the room. "Thanks dad!"

"Oi! Wait!" shouted Minato, stopping the Kitsune. "Take some friends. No sense in you enjoying the scenery alone."

Naruto looked at Shikamaru, who rolled his eyes and groaned, "I'm going! Jeez!"

"Gather all the ninja you can and meet me at the North Gate in thirty minutes!" shouted Naruto as he ran out of the door.

"Ugh, being a Chuunin is—"

"Troublesome. Yeah, yeah," grunted Minato. "Try being Hokage, punk. Now run along and organize that walk of yours."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and ran out the door. Minato turned to Shizune and said, "Where _**is**_ Shikan?"

* * *

"So you're asking me to drop everything to chase after Sasuke?" asked Satsu as he mentally dropped the weight he had been lifting. "I gotta say that this isn't exactly how I wanted to spend my Saturday."

"Dude, you have to help us," responded Shikamaru. "You were the Rookie of the Year! If anyone is in a position to help us save Sasuke, it's you!"

"I never said I wouldn't help; I just said I didn't think this is what I'd do with my weekend." Satsu grabbed his cape off of the fence and wrapped it around his shoulders. "When this is over, you're buying me all the crab I can eat."

"It's a deal," smirked Shikamaru.

* * *

"No way!" shouted Kiokure as he hastily put his clothes on. "I can't believe Sasuke defected! I never would have expected it from him!"

"Well, it happened, and we need you to help bring him back."

"You got it!" shouted Kiokure as he finished getting dressed. "Anything to help Naruto!"

"If it's for Naruto-kun, you can count us in, too!"

The three ninja turned around to see Neji and Lee standing on Kiokure's balcony. "We owe Naruto-kun a great deal," stated Neji.

"Great," replied Shikamaru. "Now let's move. We have five minutes to meet Naruto at the North Gate. Let's move!"

* * *

Naruto impatiently tapped his foot as he waited for Shikamaru to arrive. "What's taking him so damn long?" complained the Kitsune. "If he doesn't get here soon, I'm leaving without him!"

"Oh, shut up!"

The blonde Kitsune turned around and smiled as he viewed Shikamaru's recruits. "I couldn't have picked our squad any better myself! Alright Naruto's Army! Let's move out!"

"Wait, dumbass," remarked Shikamaru. "Do you even have a plan?"

"Who needs a plan" shouted Naruto. "The more time we waste, the farther away Sasuke gets!"

"Do you even know which way Otogakure is?"

_**That is a good question. I do not even know.**_

Naruto grunted in annoyance before replying, "You got five minutes."

Shikamaru knelt down and pulled a kunai out of his pocket. "Now, if what I remember is correct, Orochimaru placed some type of power augmenting curse on Sasuke-kun. This makes him an HVI (High-Value Individual). It can be safe to assume Oto sent ninja to watch over him and keep him in perfect condition. So we can safely assume to see combat and possible ambushes during this mission.

"Since this is a rescue mission, we're the pursuers. And that puts us in a tight spot."

"How so?" asked Kiokure.

"Our targets have had time to set traps and hide their trail. They're also in a position to set up an ambush and wipe us out in one fell swoop."

"G-G-Great!" groaned Kiokure.

"But," continued Shikamaru, "if we pick the perfect squad formation, we'll be able to make up for our great disadvantages. If any of you decide to do your own thing, or not to listen to Naruto-kun and I, we all die!"

Shikamaru paused for a second as the gravity of their situation began to sink into the minds of the boys.

"Now, we'll move in single line formation. I want Satsu-kun at the front. With his Ganjouomoi, Satsu will be able to hear the thoughts of anything in the forest within a certain range. He'll be able to hear Sasuke-kun's thoughts long before he even realizes we're nearby.

"I'll be following behind Satsu-kun. I'll be able to plan according to the Intel that Satsu-kun gives me, and the rest of you will be able to see my hand signals.

"Naruto-kun will be third. His Kaiten Me allows him to react to things much faster than any of us can. That'll make him invaluable to both the front and back of the line. Add that and his Bunshin, and we have both cover and assistance.

"Fifth and sixth are Lee-kun and Kiokure-kun. Kiokure-kun may not be the fastest of us, but it's his viral jutsu that's keeping him in the back; similarly, Lee-kun may be the fastest (barring Naruto-kun), but his sheer strength is keeping him behind. After Naruto-kun, Satsu-kun, and I make an opening, Lee-kun and Kiokure-kun can come in and end it before it even really begins.

"Lastly, I'll place Neji-kun at the end of the line. His Byakugan will allow us to see behind us, and he'll be able to see whatever Satsu-kun misses, just in case they can scramble his kekkei genkei.

"Just to make sure we're clear, Satsu-kun and I will keep our eyes forward; Naruto-kun will look to the left; Kiokure-kun to the right; and Neji-kun to the rear. Is that understood?"

The Konoha-nin nodded. Naruto cleared his throat, drawing his squad's attention.

"I have one thing to say before we leave. Sasuke and I have never seen eye to eye. In fact, it's no secret we really hate each other's guts. But none of that matters to me now! Sasuke is a Konoha-nin, just like you and me! And I'll be damned if I let him throw his life away! He's my comrade, and I will gladly throw my own life away if it means saving him! That is Konohagakure's Nindo!"

The squad roared enthusiastically and pumped their fists into the air. "Alright! Let's move out!"

* * *

The Sound Four stopped in a small clearing, panting from exhaustion. "Shodaime-sama, can we stop for a while?" asked Sakon. "Besides that, we're pretty far away from Konoha. This would be the perfect time to begin the ritual."

Orochimaru smirked and licked his lips before answering, "SSSSure, why not? Let'ssss begin the ritual, my dearssss."

Sakon pulled out a pill bottle and removed one small, black pill. "Are you ready to die, Shodaime-sama?"

Orochimaru took the pill into his own hands and swallowed it whole. He began screaming in pain as the drug's effects hit him almost instantaneously.

"Alright! Let's perform the jutsu now!" shouted Sakon as he and his comrades began stringing together hand seals. Sakon opened a scroll, slammed his fist into it, and summoned a barrel covered in incantations.

Jirobo lifted up Orochimaru and placed him in the barrel as Kidomaru placed the lid on it. Tayuya took four seals and placed them strategically on the lid of the barrel. She and the other Oto-nin began channeling their yokai into the seals and shouted, "Fukoku Hoin (_Dark Sealing Method_)!" they shouted as their yokai shone brightly.

Sakon smirked before saying aloud, "Stage one is done!"

* * *

Iruka sat in a clearing with three of his comrades, resting before making their way back home. "Man, that mission was tough!" shouted one of the ninja. "It's been awhile since I've been on an S-Rank mission!"

"Heh, Iruka-senpai here used to go on them all the time," remarked Konoha-nin #2. "Hey, why would a well-feared ninja like you give it all up to train some snot-nosed bastards?"

Iruka smiled before replying, "Because a powerful ninja took the time out to train me back when I was a snot-nosed brat."

"Oh, Kami," groaned Konoha-nin #3. "Not the 'I was trained by the Namikaze Minato after he awoke from a coma' story. I've heard it a gazillion times!"

"Don't listen to these jerks," Konoha-nin #1 replied. "I think it's very honorable that you're giving back to the kids."

"Hey Iruka-senpai!" shouted Konoha-nin #2. "I need a break. Can I rest here for a minute?" Konoha-nin #3 agreed with his comrade.

"Sure," Iruka answered. He pointed at Konoha-nin #1 and said, "Help me scout ahead while we let these snot-nosed bastards rest up."

"Haha, real funny, sir," Konoha-nin #3 dryly replied.

The two Konoha-nin sat in silence for several moments as they tried to regain their strength for the last stretch of their journey.

"You two can stop trying to signal each other. We know your aware of us."

The Sound Four made themselves noticeable as the two Konoha-nin leapt to their feet, ready to kill them. "We weren't sure until you just said something!" shouted Konoha-nin #2.

Sakon smirked as he and his comrades activated their curse seals. "Well, guess what? We're still gonna kill you!" he shouted as they leapt at the two Konoha-nin.

* * *

Satsu held his hand up, causing his comrades to stop. "What's the matter?" asked Shikamaru.

"I just picked up two distinct thought patterns, Konoha-nin, a moment ago, but I just lost them," replied the blonde.

"So?" asked an impatient Naruto.

"They were cut off the way a television cuts off when you pull the plug. To put it bluntly, they were killed."

"D-D-Do you think it was Sasuke?" asked Kiokure.

"I'm not sure. Whatever killed them isn't animal or human, for that matter."

"How can you be sure?" asked Neji.

"I couldn't pick up any other thought patterns. Either they were killed by demons, or their killer possesses a kekkei genkei that acts as signal jammer against my own."

"Well, what are we going to do?" asked Lee.

"We're going there!" shouted Naruto.

"Naruto-kun is right," added Shikamaru. "If there's a chance Sasuke-kun is there, we have to check it out."

"Let's move!" shouted Naruto as the Konoha-nin quickly changed directions.

* * *

Iruka leaned against a large tree as he prepared to head back to their comrades. "Ugh, those two are so slow," complained Iruka.

Konoha-nin #1 leapt into the clearing and shouted, "Iruka-senpai, you have to come with me! Something real bad just happened!"

Before Iruka could ask what was going on, his subordinate raced off. The Jonin followed closely behind, trying his hardest not to lose sight of the Konoha-nin.

When they finally stopped, Iruka nearly gagged from the sight. Chunks of flesh and limbs littered the ground, and blood was splashed all over the clearing.

"What the hell happened here?" shouted Iruka.

Before he could get a response, Naruto and his squad arrived.

"Naruto?" inquired Iruka.

"No time to explain, Iruka-sensei!" shouted Naruto. "Which direction did he go?"

"Huh? Which way did who go?"

"Sasuke!" growled Naruto.

Shock spread across Iruka's face as he whispered, "S-Sasuke?"

"Yo! Naruto-senpai!" shouted Kiokure. "Come here!" Naruto and Iruka ran over to Kiokure, who was kneeling over a patch of dirt. "Look at this and tell me what you see."

"Is this a trick question?" asked Naruto.

"There's a bunch of footprints in the dirt!" shouted Kiokure as he rolled his eyes. "I can see four distinct prints, plus a large impression in the dirt. Sasuke must be with three Oto-nin!"

"No," answered Satsu. He stood up, holding the severed head of one of the Konoha-nin. "My Ganjouomoi lets me see the memories of the recently deceased if I reach them in time. These ninja were killed by four Oto-nin; Sasuke wasn't among them."

Naruto punched the tree near him and cursed. "So where the hell is he?" he shouted.

"I have a hunch, but I think he's being transported in some type of container," replied Satsu. "One of the Oto-nin was carrying a barrel covered in talismans and seals. My guess is that whatever happened back in the village, Sasuke wasn't a willing participant."

"Did you figure out which way they're going?" asked Shikamaru.

"Directly north!"

"You guys go on ahead!" shouted Iruka. "We'll see if we can get you reinforcements!"

Naruto nodded before signaling for his squad to head out.

* * *

The Sound Four sat in a clearing, exhausted from their fight with the Konoha-nin. "Those fucking ninja were way too tough to have been Konoha-nin," groaned Kidomaru as he leaned against a tree.

"We had to go all the way to stage fuckin' two!" cursed Tayuya.

"We need to rest, but we're losing time here," Sakon said. "We never really had much time to spare from the start. But it can't be helped."

"My body hurts," complained Jirobo.

Sakon suddenly flung a kunai adorned with an explosive tag. It exploded, thrusting Lee, Shikamaru, and Neji into the clearing. Sakon giggled as he said, "And here I thought there was only some rabbits passing by."

Shikamaru held his hands up before saying, "We're not here to fight. We just wanna talk!"

"Oh really?" inquired Kidomaru. "Then who are these guys?"

The spider-nin yanked webs he had been clutching and pulled Naruto, Satsu, and Kiokure out of a separate bush. Satsu flung a smoke bomb at the ground, obscuring him and his comrades from view.

Kidomaru laughed before yanking his webs. When the smoke cleared, the three Konoha-nin he had ensnared were on the ground in a tangled mass of limbs.

"My webs may be thinner than wires, but they're twice as strong and harder to detect. I've been leaving them all over the place!" gloated Kidomaru.

Shikamaru smirked and replied, "Kagemane no Jutsu (_Shadow Imitation Technique_) complete!" Try as they might, the Sound Four couldn't move their bodies at all. "I figured you had a wire or something attached to my squad members when you yanked them out of the bushes. I communicated with my partner *points at Satsu*, and we set up to trap you guys."

Jirobo began laughing before saying, "Funny, I have a technique for these types of situations! Doton Kekkai: Doro Domu (Earth Release Barrier: Earth Prison Dome of Magnificent Nothingness)!"

The ground around the Konoha-nin cracked and rose around them. It formed a massive, earthen dome. Jirobo slammed his palms into the dome and began channeling chakra into it.

Jirobo turned to his comrades and shouted, "You guys go on ahead! I'll keep these clowns at bay!"

Kidomaru chuckled as he picked up Orochimaru's container. "You could just say you wanna eat them. No matter, you better hurry up!" The Oto-nin leapt into the tree line and sped off into the forest.

* * *

"Damn it!" shouted Kiokure as he punched the dome for the umpteenth time. The Konoha-nin all tried to break through the barrier, but nothing seemed to work.

Naruto observed the damage done to the walls, and how it would regenerate. He turned to Neji and said, "Hey, Neji-kun! Can you use your Byakugan and look around?"

Neji observed the areas Naruto pointed out and gasped, "He's sucking our chakras dry!" Sure enough, the Konoha-nin faltered, one after the other. Neji turned to Naruto and replied, "Naruto-senpai, the dome is rejecting your chakra! I have a plan!"

Neji whispered into Naruto's ear and the blonde Kitsune nodded in agreement. He began concentrating his yokai as it swirled around his form. Naruto strung together some hand seals and said to Neji, "Check out that back wall! When you guys were attacking it, I noticed something weird!"

Neji quickly checked the wall and shouted back, "It's weaker than the other walls! My guess is that it's not a powerful because of how far away it is!"

Naruto finished his seals and extended his close fist. "Oni Bijutsu: Sandanjuu (_Demon Art: Shotgun_)[_**2**_]!"

* * *

Jirobo chuckled and licked his lips in gruesome anticipation as he waited rather impatiently for the Konoha-nin to die from chakra exhaustion.

"It's been a long time since I had a meal this big!" the orange-haired cannibal thought aloud. "I'm going to take my time eating you punks!"

A massive explosion of yokai distracted Jirobo. The Konoha-nin rushed out of the earthen prison and quickly ate chakra pills to replenish their chakras.

"So you got out of my blockade," said Jirobo as he removed his hands from what was left of the barrier. "I'm impressed."

Satsu and Naruto dropped into fighting stances, ready to rip the cannibal to pieces. "No!" shouted Lee as he moved in front of them, arms spread out. "I shall fight him; if Sasuke-kun is allowed to cross the Ta-Hi border, we shall no longer be able to pursue him! You shall go ahead and catch him, while my flames of youth shall extinguish evil!"

"Are you sure, Lee?" asked Naruto.

Lee nodded and said, "Go!"

Naruto nodded as he and the others gave chase to the Sound Four. Lee turned to Jirobo and said, "Now that we are alone, I shall defeat you. For Sasuke-kun!"

* * *

Next Time: Lee better catch up to us quickly! And all we have to do is save Sasuke! We're so close! C'mon team! Move!

_Drunken Master?!?!_

* * *

1- Got this idea from _300_!

2- Oni Bijutsu: Sandanjuu (_Demon Art: Shotgun_): The user summons a great deal of yokai and blasts the target. This jutsu has a great range.


	44. Sasuke Retrieval Arc III

_**Shingen Takeda 1521**_: I know, I know. Things haven't been clicking for me lately so I decide to take a little break to just collect myself and regain that spark. I think I've recaptured it (I hope so).

Thanks to _**Rose Tiger**_ and _**Dreamers of Darkness**_ for the support!

* * *

_The Roar of the Tiger! Lee's Back! [__**1**__]_

* * *

Jirobo threw smoke bombs down to conceal his movements while Lee quickly dropped into a defensive stance. '_Where did he go?_' thought the Genin as he tried to listen for his opponent's footsteps.

The ground began to rumble and shake, and a massive, dumpling-shaped chunk of earth rose out of the ground. Jirobo was holding it and shouted, "Doton: Doryo Dango (_Earth Release: Earth Mausoleum Dumpling_)!"

With a loud grunt, he flung the massive rock at Lee. The Green Beast roared and leapt into the air. He kicked it with as much force as he could muster and shattered the rock. Jirobo smirked and rushed Lee, using his prone position to strike first. He kneed the boy in the chest, knocking him into the air, and then followed after him, smacking him back into the earth. Just before he hit the ground, Jirobo brought his fist to Lee's face, smashing him into the earth even harder.

"That scrawny looking kid with the blonde hair," began Jirobo as he smacked Lee in the face. "He was the team leader, no? He seems pretty stupid. How does it feel to work for some dumb demon?"

"Naruto-senpai is a most honorable man!" shouted Lee. "Demon or not, he is a better person than most humans can claim to be!"

Jirobo scoffed and replied, "He left you here to die. What does that say about—"

Lee punched the ogre-nin in his balls, forcing him to roll off of his body. He then placed his hands on the ground and channeled his chakra into his arms. "Konoha Shofu (_Leaf Rising Wind_)!"

Lee kicked the now rising Jirobo square in the face, knocking him high into the air. He then proceeded to get behind him, but Jirobo recovered faster than Lee expected. He spun around and punch Lee in the stomach, knocking him into a nearby tree and toppling it. Before Jirobo could rest easy, Lee grabbed the tree and threw it at the ogre-nin, who easily leapt over it. He failed to defend himself from Lee's right hook, which sent him sprawling back to earth.

The Green Beast kicked off of the airborne tree and sped down to Jirobo, ready to smash his foot into the ogre-nin's face. He was met by the man's meaty fist and the ground cracked from the sheer force of the blows. Lee quickly moved his foot, and he used the momentum of his kick to power up his right hook, which not only knocked Jirobo over, but knocked a couple teeth out as well. Lee quickly lashed out at Jirobo with his right leg, knocking him several yards away.

Lee growled in pain and thought to himself, '_He's a lot stronger than me! If this gets too rough, I might have to use my chakra gates._'

* * *

The Konoha-nin leapt through the trees, hoping to catch up to Sasuke and the Sound Four. "I'm worried about him too, Shikamaru-senpai," said Satsu suddenly. "I can tell that that guy is ridiculously powerful."

"How powerful are we talking?" asked Naruto.

Satsu's face darkened as he answered, "I couldn't read his mind or his friends for that matter. In order to block the Gangjouomoi, you have to have a strong will, and a strong will translates to a strong ninja."

"You all doubt Lee-kun's power," spoke Neji. "Lee is definitely the strongest of us physically, and his will is second to none. He will win, and he will catch up to us. Have some fucking faith!"

"Neji-kun is right," replied Shikamaru. "If there's anyone I trust more to kill that monster, it's Lee. Now shut up and keep moving!"

* * *

"Konoha Senpuu (_Leaf Whirlwind_)!" shouted Lee as he leapt at jirobo once more, hoping to finish him. The ogre-nin dug his hands in the ground and tore up a chunk of the earth, using it as a shield to defend against Lee's kick, which promptly shattered the rock. Lee suddenly vanished and appeared to the right of Jirobo. He kicked him in the face, then materialized in front of the ogre-nin and rapidly punched him in his stomach. Over and over, Lee's fists connected with Jirobo's stomach, each blow stronger than the last. The ogre-nin grabbed Lee's arms, stopping the assault

"Don't start getting cocky, kid!" Jirobo shouted as triangles began poppng up all over his body. "This fight is only just beginning!"

Jirobo released Lee, then quickly struck him in the chest, sending the boy flying into several trees. "No longer so cocky, now are ya? I'll tell you that in every group , there is a dead-last! He's the one thrown away to die first! He's a useless piece of shit that no one needs, and no one will miss when he's gone! I should know because I was once that dead last! When I was a Chuunin in Iwagakure no Sato, I was left by my squad mates to die because I was fatter and slower and dumber than the rest! But I was saved by Orochimaru-sama! He gave me a new life in Otogakure, and he made me stronger! There is still hope for you yet! Join us, and we will give you the strength to bring you from your dead-last status!"

Lee stood up and pulled a small wooden bottle out of his pouch. "I too was the dead-last un Konoha, but I would never sacrifice my integrity to become powerful! I shall do it on my own merit, and one day, I will be respected as the greatest Taijutsu master alive!"

Lee quickly drank the contents of his bottle, and shuddered as his skin turned red. His hands and feet burst into flames, and Lee roared, ready for battle. "I shall now show you the power of Katon Suiken: Sanshouuoshita (_Drunken Fist Fire Art: Salamander's Tongue_)[_**2**_]"

Lee inhaled, then spat out a massive fireball at Jirobo, who promptly leapt over the projectile. The Green Beast met him halfway and backhanded him, leaving a hand-sized burn mark on his face. Jirobo grabbed Lee's arm and yanked him close, then proceded to headbutt him. He watched with glee as the Genin's head cracked open and blood sprayed from the wound onto the ogre-nin's face.

Jirobo screamed in pain as the blood began to burn his skin. He foolishly began to wipe the blood off, but merely spread it more, burning him further. Lee rushed the ogre-nin again, but was met with a powerful uppercut to the jaw, knocking him high into the air.

"Die, trash!" shouted Jirobo as he leapt into the air after Lee. However, the boy regained his composure and channeled his chakra evenly throughout his body. "Tora Tobikomi (_Jumping Tiger_)[_**3**_]!"

Lee propelled himself even higher into the air, then brought his right leg down to bear on Jirobo. The Oto-nin barely managed to move his head, but Lee's attack still connected, shattering the bones from his shoulder down to his fingertips. Jirobo screeched in pain as he went flying down to the earth at full force. Lee then channeled all of his chakra into his fist and shouted, "Tora no Tsume (_Claw of the Tiger_)[_**4**_]!"

It happened so fast that Lee didn't even have time to register what was going on. He just felt the force of his punch connect, then the resulting explosion that engulfed the clearing they had been fighting in. Suddenly, he screamed in pain as his the bones in his hands broke.

"**It's a pity I have to go demon for trash like you,**" Jirobo said as the smoke cleared. A red hand struck Lee in the chest as the ogre shouted, "**Shougekishou** (_Rising Impact Palm_)**!**"

Lee felt his chest cave in as he was sent flying several meters through many trees, each falling, but none of them slowing his trajectory speed even a little bit. The Genin finally came to a stop after crashing into the side of cliff. Jirobo materialized in a heartbeat and grabbed Lee's face. It took everything in his body not to vomit in disgust at what he saw.

Jirobo's hair had grown significantly longer; his skin had turned a reddish-orange and had become covered in warts; and his eyes were now black with yellow pupils. "**This is the power that Orochimaru-sama could bestow upon you. He can make you a demon to serve under him when he takes on the position of Kami [**_**5**_**]! **"

Lee shakily pried himself from the cliff and thought to himself, '_There's no other option. I have to go all out against this monster!_' He began to channel his chakra, ready to open his Chakra Gates.

Jirobo roared angrily, "**No way in hell, kid!**"

He smashed his hands into Lee's head, then grabbed him by his neck and slammed him into the wall. He then slammed Lee into the ground, causing a decent sized crater to form. Lee screamed in pain as Jirobo began to suck out what little chakra remained in his system.

"**This isn't even enough to fill me up!**" grumbled Jirobo. "**I got really hungry fighting you.**" Lee shakily tried to grab a rock to throw at Jirobo, but the ogre-nin smashed his leg into the boy's arm, breaking it. "**Time to die kid!**"

Jirobo cocked his free hand into a fist and then back, ready to end the Green Beast's Life. Before he could do it, a massive red and black tiger leapt onto the ogre-nin knocking him off and freeing Lee.

'_Th-Th-That's a Chishiotora (Blood Tiger)[__**6/7**__]!_' thought Lee as Jirobo futilely tried to knock the tiger hanyou away. He stood up and began channeling his chakra. '_Gate one, open! Gate two, open! Gate three, open! Gate four, open! Gate five, open!_'

Lee became surrounded in golden chakra and took off running toward Jirobo. The Chishiotora leapt out of the way as Lee knocked him into the air and made hand seals. "Mandarin Dance!" screamed Lee as he took off after him.

* * *

The Konoha-nin leapt into a clearing to stop for a second to drink some water. Neji turned back to look in the direction where Lee had been fighting. A massive explosion had gone off where Lee was, jarring the Konoha-nin to there feet.

"He did it," said Neji with a proud smirk on his face.

* * *

Lee was sprawled out on the ravaged remains of his battlefield, his body broken and battered. The Chishiotora walked up to Lee with a scroll in hand and placed it gently on his chest. The Green Beast smiled and said, "I knew father left you behind to watch over me after he died. Thank you my friend." He then slept into the wonderful bliss of darkness.

* * *

Next Time: We're one step closer to getting to Sasuke, but these damn mutant freaks keep holding us up. With Lee down and now Neji left behind, how the hell are we gonna save Sasuke?

Collaboration! The Broken Bond Mended!

* * *

1- I changed the title because I thought this fight seemed too much like Lee's fight with Kimimaro in the canon. So I _**rewrote**_ the whole chapter. -__-

2- Katon Suiken: Sanshouuoshita (_Drunken Fist Fire Art: Salamander's Tongue_): The user drinks a special type of Sake designed to turn their chakra into Katon-aligned chakra. The user is granted the ability to produce fire from anywhere on their body. Practitioners of the drunken fist use this to augment their Taijutsu. The usage of this sake leaves areas of the body severely burnt.

3- Tora Tobikomi (_Jumping Tiger_): The user leaps up and then brings their foot down with explosive force.

4- Tora no Tsume (_Claw of the Tiger_): The user merely punches with enhanced force due to chakra.

5- And if you hadn't picked it up by now, Orochimaru is trying to become a god. Go figure.

6- Chishiotora (_Blood Tiger_): These Hanyou tigers are the descendents of ancient Tora Yokai. They are expert hunters and are twice the size of regular hunters. Very few still roam freely in the forests of Hi no Kuni.

7- I thought that it would be appropriate that a tiger saves Lee's butt since he's always associated with them.


	45. Sasuke Retrieval Arc IV

_**Shingen Takeda 1521:**_ I actually think that the Sasuke Retrieval Arc was one of the best arcs in the canon, second only to the Invasion of Pain Arc. I want to add my own twist, but at the same time, I don't want to take away from a great arc.

And what I'm going to do with Sasuke is the biggest conundrum I'm experiencing. Should he be saved or should he be allowed to sink into the depths of his depravity? The only definite thing is that he will have an eternal enemy that won't rest until he's dead.

Thanks to _**Rose Tiger**_ and _**No-I'm not on Facebook **_for the support!

* * *

_Collaboration! The Broken Bond Has Been Mended!_

* * *

"This sacrifice is your duty to your nation; to the entire ninja world!" shouted Minato as he stood before the assembled Hi Army. Thousands of samurai and ninja stood below the Hokage Tower, eagerly anticipating their warlord's words. With the Fire Lord and Daimyo on his left, and Jiraiya and Tsunade on his right, Minato's voice rose as he issued a formal declaration of total war.

"War has plagued our nation for nearly a century now, and I would not thrust us into the maw of such a beast with faint regard for the damage it brings.

"But I realize now that this will not go as I wish. Orochimaru, Ryotenbin no Onoki (_Onoki of Both Scales_), and Ebi Yagura [**_1_**] must be stopped before they lead the world to ruin! We shall not sleep, we shall not rest, and we shall not stop until these monsters are wiped out!

"The Hokages past have promised with each war everlasting peace. I cannot and shall not promise you such a fallacy. I can promise you, however, that no longer will the fear of these tyrants loom over us like ash from a volcano. Are you with me?"

The roar of the legions of warriors was all the conformation that Minato needed. He extended his arms, effectively silencing them, and shouted, "Then let it begin! Unleash hell, my brothers!"

* * *

"That speech you gave was very stirring, Yondaime-sama," congratulated the Fire Lord as Minato removed his Hokage robe in the safety of his office. "You're a natural orator, just like your grandfather, Seigyoku-sama. Speaking of him, my father was a tad disappointed that he opted to not become the Nidaime. Tobirama-sama did an excellent job, but we all believed Seigyoku-sama."

"My clan never had any interests in politics," replied Minato as he poured two cups of green tea for him and the Fire Lord. "Truthfully, I only took the Hokage position at Hiruzen-sama's request. I was a hero to the village, and after Orochimaru's defection, they needed someone to believe in. I grew to love the job as the years went along."

The two sat at the Yondaime's desk and sipped their teas. "How is Naruto-kun?" asked the Fire Lord.

Minato smiled, and responded, "He was promoted to Chuunin just the other day."

The Fire Lord clapped his hands and jovially said, "You must be proud!" Minato nodded as he sipped his tea again. "I don't think I saw him during the declaration of war."

Minato's mood darkened a little and he answered, "I sent him and Nara Shikamaru on a mission that is vital to our war efforts. I'm sure you know about the Uchiha Tragedy."

"I have a limited knowledge of it," the Fire Lord said as he sipped his tea. "Uchiha Itachi murdered his clan in an attempt to fully unlock his Sharingan. Uchiha Obito and Uchiha Sasuke were the only survivors; Obito-san had just returned to the village at the time of the crime, and he arrived just in time to protect Sasuke-kun."

"You're half-right. There is more to the story than even I knew at first glance," replied Minato.

"Really?" asked the Fire Lord, his interest piqued. "What else happened? And what does this have to do with the war?"

"Uchiha Sasuke was attacked by Orochimaru a couple months ago during the Chuunin Exams. He was given a Curse Seal, a Fuuinjutsu that uses dark emotions in its victims to make them depraved and evil. Orochimaru activated this curse last night, and Sasuke-kun is presently en route to Otogakure no Sato."

"Not to sound harsh, but how can one Genin impact the war?"

"Sasuke possesses a fully matured Sharingan. If Orochimaru is allowed to take the boy, he'll be able to use that Sharingan to master the most complicated Kinjutsu in the world with little effort. He can then use Sasuke to eliminate us."

The Fire Lord leaned back in his seat and muttered, "Damn."

"It is because of this that I ordered Nara Shikamaru covertly to bring Sasuke back dead or alive; if he resists too much, kill him."

"But the Sharingan is endanger of going extinct!" shouted the Fire Lord. "Surely, you would like for us to keep one of our biggest advantages over the other four nations?"

"We still have Obito and Shikan," Minato replied. "They can rebuild the Uchiha Clan."

"If you say so," replied the Fire Lord. "Now, tell me the truth behind the Uchiha Clan massacre. I must now." [_**2**_]

* * *

The Sound Four sat in a clearing several miles away from where they left Jirobo and the Konoha-nin. They were panting in exhaustion from running at full speed for so long, but they felt comfortable enough to rest easy. They had seen the explosion from where they had left Jirobo, and felt the Konoha-nin's presence fade.

"What's taking that fat ass so long?" grumbled Tayuya in annoyance. Sakon nodded in agreement.

"I feel his chakras," replied Kidomaru. "It is very close." As if on cue, Jirobo stumbled into the clearing. His body was banged up badly, and he seemed exhausted.

"You took long enough," stated Sakon as he stretched his tired limbs. "You should have just stuffed your face like you always do; we would have been able to cover a lot more ground."

Jirobo grinned stupidly and replied, "Their chakras smelled so good. I had to savor the moment."

Tayuya grunted in aggravation and screamed, "Grab Shodaime-sama's container! My fucking back hurts from carrying your load, you fat fucker!"

Jirobo wordlessly moved toward Orochimaru's case. Kidomaru and Sakon looked at each other and nodded. The spider-nin created a golden arrow and produced a bow. He took aim at Jirobo, whose back was turned, and released. The arrow's flight was stopped halfway toward the ogre-nin and floated stilly in the air.

"Guess the jig is up," grumbled "Jirobo". He exploded into smoke and became Naruto. "I gotta know. How did you figure me out?"

Kidomaru chuckled and answered, "Jirobo always chastises Tayuya for her profanity. And he's much more abrasive towards us than you were." Kidomaru made a hand seal and shouted, "Ninpou: Kumo Bakudan (_Ninja Art: Spider Web Bomb_)[_**3**_]!"

The spider-nin spat out a massive ball of webbing fluid and watched with glee as it exploded all over the clearing, trapping the blonde Kitsune and his hidden comrades.

"You're the clowns Konoha entrusted to bring back Orochimaru-sama?" laughed Kidomaru. "You kids are jokes! Jirobo's fat ass was a weak link we had meant to get rid of a long time ago. You'll soon discover that I don't like to waste time like he does."

* * *

Three figures leapt through the late afternoon air, searching for something. Their bodies were obscured by the shadows of the foliage, masking their approach.

"How far off is the site of the explosion?" shouted the figure, obviously a man, in the center.

"Just a few hundred feet to our immediate right!" shouted a petite feminine voice, much younger than the first voice.

The first figure shouted to the third figure, "Search for survivors and stabilize them until Shizune gets here! Then catch up to us as quickly as possible!"

"Aye aye, mon capitaine!" the third figure, also a female, shouted before breaking rank to search the bomb sight.

* * *

Lee struggled to breathe as his rib dug deeper into his lung. Just before he killed Jirobo (whose corpse lay mangled in a crater a few yards away), the ogre-nin managed to get a lucky shot at his ribs. The Chishiotora kept watch over the injured boy. It gently licked Lee's face, hoping that its action would miraculously heal its young ward. A sudden rustling in the bushes caused the massive tiger to go on high alert.

It slammed its paws into the ground and several sharp pillars of rocks burst from the ground under the plant, intent on killing whatever was in the bushes. A column of water smashed into the Chishiotora, knocking it away from Lee.

The red tiger roared, causing a tremor and knocking the ninja that attacked it down. It pounced on the downed warrior and prepared to end the human's life.

Lee turned to the tiger and weakly shouted, "Stop!"

The Chishiotora stopped mid-bite. Much to the surprise of all involved, the Chishiotora asked, "**Do you know this woman?**"

The Green Beast looked at the ninja and incredulously murmured, "Haku-chan?"

"Yup," Haku replied. "Now, would you mind GETTING THIS TIGER OFF OF ME?"

The Chishiotora moved off of Haku and cautiously eyed her as she slowly got off the ground. "I followed after you guys about eight hours ago," explained Haku as she kneeled by Lee to heal him. "My back up went on ahead to see if they can catch up to Sasuke-kun.

"Where'd the tiger come from?" she asked, gesturing toward the Chishiotora.

"**My name is Toramaru [**_4_**],**" the tiger said. "**I belong to the Tora Yokai Clan. I was asked by a man named Lee Daichi to watch over this boy after his death. I was also asked to bring him my clan's summoning scroll to sign.**"

Lee's face lit up and he excitedly asked, "My father is alive?"

Toramaru nodded. "**He is stuck in the Makai.**"

"Can you take me to him?" asked Lee.

Toramaru sadly shook his head and answered, "**I am sorry. Any human who enters the Makai will never return to Earth alive.**"

Toramaru laid down next to Haku as she finished healing a saddened Lee. "That's the best I can do. Your broken rib's gonna need to be surgically removed from your lung, but you should be alright. I'll stay with you until Lady Shizune gets here."

The Green Beast shook his head and replied, "Go ahead. Naruto-senpai and the others need you. Toramaru-sama will protect me."

Haku hesitated before nodding and racing off into the foliage. Lee turned his head from Toramaru, hiding his salty tears from the demon tiger. The Chishiotora still leaned over to Lee and licked his tears away.

* * *

Kidomaru laughed as he finished webbing up his prey. "I shouldn't eat you guys; you'd just go right to my ass. But if I don't, you'll just follow after us. And killing you guys has no downside; Oto and Konoha are at war already, after all," mused Kidomaru as he approached the first of the webbed Konoha-nin.

Before Kidomaru could begin to feast on his prey, a dragon made of pure electricity made its way toward the spider-nin. He nimbly leapt over the attack and watched as it collided with the ground before him. Kidomaru thrust his upper left arm out to block the powerful kick from the ninja above him. The spider-nin then thrust out his lower right arm into the ninja's throat, seemingly killing him. Kidomaru howled in pain as a powerful electric current surged through his body.

"Pretty good string of attacks. You used a Rairyudan (_Electric Dragon Bullet_)[_**5**_], and then sent a Raikou Bunshin (_Lightning Clone_) in to handle Taijutsu while you recovered from your Ninjutsu's nasty side affect," remarked Kidomaru. He gasped in shock as a kunai pressed up against his throat.

"Do you always talk this much?" asked Obito as he prepared to slit the spider-nin's throat.

"Wait!" shouted Kidomaru, stopping the Elite Jonin from ending his life. "Don't you want to know some vital information?"

The Uchiha Lord spun the spider-nin around and kicked him in his chest, knocking him away. "I'm listening," Obito gruntly replied.

"Tell you what. If you defeat me, then I'll tell you where Orochimaru-sama's base is," Kidomaru quickly said.

"Wait, Obito-sensei!"

The two ninja turned to see Hinata and the other Konoha-nin leap out of the bushes. "I'll fight this creep and find out where Orochimaru's base is! You guys head on to save Sasuke."

Neji stepped in front of Hinata and replied, "It is my duty to protect you, Hinata-hime. We shall fight this man together. Do you agree?"

Hinata nodded her consent. Obito sighed and then said to the Hyuuga-nin, "You two better stay alive. Haku-chan should catch up with us soon. *_turns to the other Konoha-nin_* Let's move out!" The other Konoha-nin leapt into the foliage, save for Naruto.

"Hina-chan, you better catch up to us," said Naruto sternly. He turned to Neji and said, "If anything happens to Hina-chan, I'm holding you responsible, got it?"

"Good thing I won't allow anything to happen," replied Neji as he dropped into a Juken stance. "Now go on ahead! We'll join up with you momentarily."

Naruto nodded and raced after his comrades. Kidomaru chuckled and then asked Hinata, "So the blonde one is fucking you, eh? That's cute." Despite the fierce look on Hinata's face, a slight blush crept over it, causing Kidomaru to break into a full-blown laughter. "If you want, after I kill your friend, I can teach you how to please a man."

"Shut your mouth!" roared an angry Neji as he raced toward the spider-nin.

Kidomaru spat out a glob of golden web and quickly fashioned it into an arrow. "Ninpou: Kumonenkin (_Ninja Art: Golden Spider Spikes_)!"

The spider-nin flung the arrow forcefully at Neji, who literally bent over backwards to avoid it. Kidomaru was so focused on Neji that he almost failed to notice the Hyuuga princess coming up behind him. He spun around with tremendous velocity and grabbed her wrist.

"Uh uh uh," giggled Kidomaru as he twisted Hinata's wrist. "I know all about your Juken, girl. Did you honestly believe that I would let you—"

Neji took advantage of the spider-nin's position and attempted to kick him in his windpipe. Kidomaru merely used his upper left hand to grab the boy's leg. "These extra arms ain't for show, kid."

He spun the Hyuugas around and flung them away in opposite directions. Kidomaru spat out several golden arrows at Hinata. The Hyuuga princess activated her Byakugan and smashed the arrows with the pinpoint accuracy of the Juken style Taijutsu.

Neji leapt at the spider-nin and began to furiously assault him. Kidomaru was barely able to deflect fatal blows, and his body began to scream in pain. He kneed Neji, stopping the ferocious assault and knocking the boy away. Kidomaru spat out a volley of webs at Neji, which Hinata quickly destroyed. He leapt away and made a hand seal. His injuries magically healed, and an evil smirk spread across the spider-nin's face.

"I'm sure you know my sensei, Yakushi Kabuto, and the abilities his clan possessed," began Kidomaru smugly as he stood up. "While my own replication isn't perfect, it's more than enough to keep me healthy while I kill you two!"

Kidomaru fired off a massive volley of webs, which the Hyuugas deftly dodged and destroyed. One of the webs hit Hinata, causing her to fall to the ground. More and more webs collided with her body until all that was left was a massive blob of webs. Neji leapt at Kidomaru, but a web to the face dropped the Hyuuga-nin.

"You guys are pathetic!" bellowed Kidomaru in amusement. "I was always taught to fear Hyuugas, but that was obviously an exaggeration.

"I grow bored with you two," Kidomaru nonchalantly said as he created another golden arrow. "Time to die!"

"Ninpou: Haretsu (_Ninja Art: Explosion_)[_**6**_]!"

The massive glob next to Kidomaru exploded, knocking him away and destroying his arrow. Hinata charged up her hand and cut the webs off of Neji's face.

"Are you ok, Neji-kun?" asked Hinata as she helped Neji sit up.

"Look out!" he shouted as he shoved Hinata out of the way. The arrow that was aimed at Hinata's head ripped through Neji's right forearm, tearing off a chunk of flesh on its trajectory toward the tree behind Neji.

"You're in my field of divination!"

Kidomaru spun around to see Hinata standing behind him, in a Juken stance. "Neji-kun, can you fight?" asked Hinata as Neji stood up weakly and dropped into an inverse of the stance Hinata was in.

"Let's do it," he grunted as they rushed the spider-nin. "Hakke Rokujuyon Serei Sho (_Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Spirit Palms_)[_**7**_]!" shouted Neji as he pounded his palms into Kidomaru.

"Two palms! Four Palms! Eight Palms! Sixteen Palms!" roared Neji as he knocked the Oto-nin into the air.

Hinata followed the spider-nin and shouted, "Hakke Kasui Haratenami (_Eight Trigrams Stream Palm Wave_)[_**8**_]"

She began to strike Kidomaru all over his body, cutting the chakra network to pieces. The Hyuuga princess charged up chakra into her palm and smashed it into his body, sealing away a massive amount of his vile chakra. Kidomaru collapsed on the ground and remained unnaturally still.

Hinata rushed over to Neji and began to heal his wound. "Are you ok, Neji-kun?"

He nodded as Hinata's healing energies fixed his arm. "I've hurt this arm worse during a mission in Kusa. Lee-kun accidentally kicked me during a battle with ronin," chuckled Neji.

"**Do you really think this battle is over?**"

Hinata and Neji spun around to see a fearsome oni standing before them. Kidomaru's hair had turned grey and his skin brown; a third eye popped up on his forehead; and spikes began to pop up all over his arms.

"**Do you like my makeover?**" joked Kidomaru as he spun around for the Hyuugas. "**I think I look good; do you?**"

"H-How did you survive?" gasped Hinata. "That was our strongest combination jutsu!"

It was then that Neji noticed the pieces of gold scattered all over the ground where Kidomaru's body was. "You covered your body in that gold silk webbing. That's how you survived our assault," answered Neji.

Kidomaru laughed and said, "**Ding ding ding! We have a winner! I cover myself in the stuff before every mission! I'm invulnerable, motherfuckers!**"

'_How do we seal his tenketsu if we can't touch his skin?_' thought Neji as he appraised his strong, demonic foe.

"**Using Taijutsu against you two is a complete no-no,**" mused Kidomaru. "**You two are strong enough to rip me to fucking shreds. Guess I'll just have to improvise!**"

Kidomaru vanished, much to the shock of the two Hyuuga-nin. After a few still moments, a golden arrow hit the ground right in front of Hinata. She leapt out of the way as more began to fall from the trees. Neji leapt directly in front of her and began spinning, activating his Kaiten. The spiraling shield of chakra knocked away all of the arrows, sending them two and fro across the clearing.

The shield dissipated, and Hinata flung a kunai at the hiding spider-nin. Kidomaru ducked just in time to avoid allowing the kunai to become embedded in his third eye.

"Pay more attention!"

Kidomaru leapt out of the tree he was in as Neji's palm collided with the tree bark. The spider-nin made several hand seals and shouted, "**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**"

A massive cloud covered the clearing; Hinata leapt out of it to rejoin her cousin. A massive spider revealed itself, much to Hinata's disgust. It was covered in a brownish-orange shade with eight fearsome red eyes; two obsidian black pincers dripping with caustic venom; and eight sharp, long legs.

"**This is the Kumo no Jirai (**_Land Mine Spider_**)[**_9_**]**," Kidomaru said darkly as he landed on its head. "**It's the largest spider demon in existence and it's mine to control. I'd love to see your Juken harm this behemoth!**"

Kidomaru concentrated and watched with glee as a glowing red, vine-like pattern spread across the kumo-oni's body. The Kumo no Jirai opened its mouth and fired dozens of massive golden arrows at the two Hyuuga-nin. All Hinata and Neji could do was leap into the trees to avoid being impaled by the spider's projectiles. One arrow pierced the tree Neji was hiding behind a mere centimeter away from his head. He hadn't noticed it until it went through the tree.

Kidomaru smirked and thought, '**Gotcha, bitch!**'

The Kumo no Jirai roared and sprayed Neji's hiding place with its acidic venom, literally melting the tree and forcing the Hyuuga-nin into the open. The giant spider then fired off millions of small projectiles at him, which Neji defelected with his Kaiten. Kidomaru created a bow out of his golden silk and another arrow and took aim at Neji. He waited until the Hyuuga stopped spinning to fire his weapon.

The golden arrow split the air in half as it jettisoned toward Neji, who stood at an angle opposite the arrow's trajectory. Kidomaru smiled with glee as Neji had yet to realize he was about to be ventilated by the archaic weapon. The arrow suddenly shifted slightly to the right, and Neji spun around and snapped it in two with a forceful Juken strike. Kidomaru cursed as Hinata's form popped up in his peripheral vision.

"You're pretty smart," Hinata said as she stood by her cousin. "No one outside of our clan knows about or has ever been able to figure out that the Byakugan has only a 359 degree field of vision. For you to figure that out in this short amount of time is something truly amazing, but Neji-kun and I have learned to compensate for this weakness."

Kidomaru growled and bang his fist into the Kumo no Jirai's head. The massive oni fired millions of tiny arrows, which Neji and Hinata leapt high into the air to avoid. The Oto-nin attempted to supplement his summon's onslaught. The Hyuugas merely destroyed every arrow that headed their way with quick Juken strikes.

Kidomaru smirked and thought to himself, '**So that's their game. They almost got away with it.**'

The Oto-nin slammed his fist into the Kumo no Jirai once again, forcing it to fire more needles. Kidomaru waited until the Hyuuga-nin jumped into the air to pound on the massive spider's head. It roared in anger before spraying out its venom, forcing Neji and Hinata to separate. Kidomaru took aim at Neji's blind spot and fired.

Blood sprayed all over the clearing, and Kidomaru licked his lips in glee. Hinata dropped to the ground awkwardly, a golden arrow sticking out of the center of her chest. Neji knelt beside his cousin and cradle her in his arms.

"Hinata-hime!" he screamed as he clutched her closer. "Please be alright! Please!"

Hinata weakly smiled before whispering, "I-I saved you, t-this ti…"

The Hyuuga princess' eyes fluttered shut, and Neji roared in pain. He gently laid Hinata on her side and looked at Kidomaru with the most intense hatred ever.

"It's time to stop fucking around," Neji whispered as he made a hand seal.

Brass arm and leg weights appeared on the Hyuuga-nin's limbs. He made an inverse seal and loud unlocking sounds filled the air. The weights dropped to the ground, creating craters all around Neji.

Kidomaru burst into a raucous, maniacal laughter and shouted, "**You think losing a little weight is gonna save you! I'm gonna kill you just like I killed your fucking comrade! Right in the fucking—**"

"You talk too much," Neji replied darkly as he appeared before Kidomaru. "And because of that, you're now in my field of divination! Hakke Hyaku Nijuhachi Sho (_Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms_)!"

Kidomaru was so shocked by Neji's sudden burst of speed that he didn't even attempt to block Neji's flurry of attacks. Neji directed every single blow at the Oto-nin's heart. By the time the onslaught was over, Neji had stopped and restarted Kidomaru's heart one hundred twenty-seven times.

"Die scum!" screamed Neji as he sent the last blow into Kidomaru's heart, sending him flying into a tree and ending his life.

The Kumo no Jirai roared before dissipating, as the source of chakra keeping it tethered to the world had suddenly been disconnected. Neji gracefully landed on his feet and took off at full sprint toward Hinata.

"Hang on, Hinata-hime," he whispered as he picked his cousin up. "There's a ninja base not too far from here. I'll get you help!"

Neji vanished from the clearing, fleeing from the Shinigami in the hopes of saving his cousin.

* * *

Next Time: We've finally got Sasuke back, but Otogakure sent back up! And in five seconds, he splits up our whole group! I don't care if Orochimaru came here himself, I'll kill him and bring Sasuke back!

_Separated! The Boogeyman Cometh!_

* * *

1- New Character Bio (_Ebi Yagura_): The Yondaime Mizukage and the former leader of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shu. Not much is known about him, but he did lead the Shinobigatana to battle with Namikaze Minato and his squad in the Battle for Umi no Kuni. I am going to leave his bio at this, he'll get a more in depth bio in _Rosuto_.

2- BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Took a page outta Bakamoto's, er, manga! You gotta wait a couple chapters for this!

3- Ninpou: Kumo Bakudan (_Ninja Art: Spider Web Bomb_): The user creates a bomb-shaped web that covers everything within a specific range in sticky goop when detonated.

4- New Character Bio (_Toramaru_): Toramaru is a demon belonging to the Tora Clan. He is a powerful fighter proficient in Doton Jutsu. His name is a combination of Tora (_tiger_) and the suffix for boy (_-maru_).

5- Raiton: Rairyudan no Jutsu (Lightning Release: Electric Dragon Bullet Technique): The user creates a dragon out of electricity and then sends it to destroy anything foolish enough to be caught in its path. The user uses his body as a conduit for the technique, leaving him temporarily stunned by the electricity coursing through him.

6- Ninpou: Haretsu (_Ninja Art: Explosion_): A Ninpou created by the Hyuuga clan to work in conjuncture with the Juken style of Taijutsu. The user spins their chakra around them and then fires it in a concussive burst, damaging any living thing around them.

7- Hakke Rokujuyon Serei Sho (_Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Spirit Palms_): Neji uses his Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, but only 8 to 16 times and sends the enemy flying with his palms. Used in conjunction with Hinata's Hakke Kasui Haratenami.

8- Hakke Kasui Haratenami (_Eight Trigrams Stream Palm Wave_): Hinata uses a two-handed Gentle Fist on the enemy several times from all angles before dashing in front of them and charging chakra within her palms and striking the enemy, draining their chakra.

9- Kumo no Jirai (_Land Mine Spider_): The Kumo no Jirai is the largest species of kumo-oni in existence. It stands at 22 feet.

* * *

I apologize for the delay. Prom and finals and other fun events. With graduation a few days away, I'll be free to do more writing.


	46. Sasuke Retrieval Arc V

_**Shingen Takeda 1521:**_ Neji is gonna get it. I pity him as well. As for Sasuke, I know now what I'm going to do, but fear not: Naruto will always be stronger enough to handle Sasuke, no matter which direction.

_**LiberianGirl21**_: He won't be too hard, but Neji will still feel Naruto's wrath.

Thanks to _**Rose Tiger**_ and _**Prince Raistlin **_for the support!

* * *

_Separated! The Boogeyman Cometh!_

* * *

"How long have they been gone?"

Kabuto leaned over a table, tinkering with some chemicals. "Don't worry about it," he flippantly replied.

"They should have been back by now. Let me go after them! It's my job to—"

Kabuto cruelly looked over his shoulder and said, "Your job was to take care of your body, and you failed at that horribly." The silver-haired nuke-nin walked over to a hospital bed. On it was a thin, emaciated body covered with a sheet. "Just face it; you are no longer strong enough to be the leader of the Sound Four."

"I refuse to lay here and die while a weak, useless cretin like Sakon takes control of _my_ squad!"

"I couldn't agree with you more," replied Kabuto. "That's why Orochimaru-sama found your successor. He possesses the same amount of power you did in your prime. The boy also possesses a kekkei genkei, just like you." A nearby machine began to beep rapidly as the man underneath the sheet began breathing heavily. Kabuto smirked sadistically and quipped, "Don't excite yourself too much."

Blood stains began to soak through the dingy white sheet as the man groaned in agony. "H-How much longer do I have, Kabuto-sensei? I have to know," asked the sick man.

In a rare moment of compassion, Kabuto placed a hand on the man and said, "You should rest. You're growing weaker by the second."

Ignoring Kabuto's advice, the man continued, "Everyone lives to fulfill a purpose; it is the only freedom the gods allow us."

"I understand you want to help Orochimaru-sama, but be realistic. What could you do in your condition?"

Silence filled the room for a few moments before the man asked, "This person who shall succeed me, is he truly as powerful as I once was?"

"Eh, give or take," Kabuto nonchalantly said as he messed with a nearby machine.

Silence filled the air again. Kabuto turned around to check on his ward, and smirked after seeing an empty bed. "That was too easy; I get Sasuke-kun here faster and free up some medical resources and free time all at once. Talk about killing two birds with one stone."

* * *

"**Kabuto!**" a young man with silver hair roared as another dead body joined one of the other several piles of dead bodies. He wore an outfit similar to Orochimaru's own. "**I did exactly what you said; I killed them all! Free me!**"

Clapping filled the air and the man spun around to come face to face with Orochimaru's bandaged visage. "Gen'yumaru, issssn't it? You have far excccceeded any of our expectationssss. How long have you been here? SSSSincccce I conquered this mudhole a year ago?" asked the snake-sennin, his voice raspy from the pain it required to talk.

"**You bastard!**" shouted Gen'yumaru angrily. "**You killed my parents when I was a kid! I've been here all my life and you know it! Now free me! I killed all the other people you infected with your curse seal!**"

Orochimaru released a massive wave of killing intent, paralyzing Gen'yumaru. "You're too big of an…invesssstment to free!" A massive spectral snake wrapped around Gen'yumaru's still frozen form. The poor man couldn't even scream as Orochimaru wiped out all traces of his soul.

* * *

Tayuya and Sakon raced through the forest with the Konoha-nin hot on their tails. The container holding Sasuke began to shake violently, scaring Tayuya. "It's starting!" she shouted to Sakon, who cursed the gods.

"Shodaime-sama picks the perfect time to wake up!" the boy shouted. "We can't stop to and free him!"

Naruto took advantage of their brief distraction to draw the Ierokitsune and make a hand seal. "Oni Bijutsu: Shinigami Choukokubutsu Debabouchou (_Demon Art: The Deity of Death's Carving Knife_)!"

The Ierokitsune began to glow with Naruto's yokai, and the Kitsune vanished. Seconds later, trees tumbled, blocking the two Oto-nin's escape. The other Konoha-nin leapt to the left of the two ninja, forcing them to switch gears and run to the right. After a few minutes of running, the ninja ended up on a cliff face.

"It's over!" shouted Obito as his comrades blocked off any escape. "Give us Uchiha Sasuke, and we'll allow you to continue breathing in a Hi prison. Fail to meet these demands, and you'll get an intimate viewing of the ground below." Tayuya and Sakon looked at each other before the girl gently placed the container in between the two ninja groups. Obito gestured at Kiokure and said, "Go get him, Kiokure-kun."

"Hai!" the boy shouted. Kiokure cautiously walked to the container and picked it up. Obito and Naruto's eyes widened in fear, as did Sakon and Tayuya's.

"Kiokure! Get out of there!" screamed Naruto as Obito summoned a katana and leapt at the boy. He spun around and deflected a kunai wrapped with an explosive tag. Tayuya took advantage of the ninja's distraction and grabbed the container. She used it to knock Satsu and Shikamaru out of the way. The kunai exploded, vaporizing Obito, Kiokure, and Sakon. The cliff faces cracked and fell into the valley below.

"_**Kiokure!**_" roared Naruto as a shroud of yellow yokai exploded around him.

A man leapt down from a nearby tree, blocking the Konoha-nin from Tayuya. He had pale, sickly skin; long white hair pulled into a ponytail with a jagged part; vivid green eyes; two red dots tattooed on his forehead; and very prominent, masculine facial features. The man wore a large, lavender shirt and black Capri pants.

Tayuya bowed immediately and murmured reverently, "Kimimaro-sama!"

Kimimaro looked at Tayuya in disgust and quipped, "You should have delivered Orochimaru-sama to Otogakure several hours ago. I shouldn't have to clean up your mess."

Tayuya gulped before replying, "Th-Th-These Konoha-nin—"

A vile blast of killing intent silenced Tayuya. "There is no excuse for incompetence. You were the third strongest of our group of five. Now it's just you and me, since Jirobo, Kidomaru, and Sakon got themselves killed."

"But Kimimaro-sama! Your body has no more power left in it! You'll die here!" Tayuya shouted.

"If I die, I die, but know that I derive my power from the sheer magnitude of my will," Kimimaro stated. "Know that your incompetence has cost Orochimaru-sama dearly."

Naruto lost it and leapt at Kimimaro. The sickly man made a hand seal, causing a kunai-shaped bone to force its way through his shoulder. He then flung it with tremendous force at Naruto, who allowed the weapon to pierce his flesh and embed itself in a tree. The Kitsune's yokai shroud healed him, but Kimimaro used this distraction to kick Naruto with all of his might. The force of the kick was so mighty that the Kitsune's cloak failed him.

"The reason I haven't killed you yet," Kimimaro whispered in Tayuya's ear as he materialized behind her, "Is because you can still prove your worth by killing these three pieces of trash. I'll return Orochimaru-sama to Otogakure."

And with that Kimimaro vanished. Tayuya cursed as she pulled out a flute. "Naruto! Satsu!" Shikamaru shouted as he dropped into his strategizing stance. "Chase after that guy and get Sasuke back! I'll hold her off! No time to waste, just go!"

"Are you sure you don't need back up?" Satsu asked.

Shikamaru smirked and shook his head. "That guy was strong enough to daze Naruto; you're gonna need more help than me." The two blonde Konoha-nin nodded before racing off after Kimimaro. Shikamaru turned to Tayuya and said, "Shall we dance my dear?"

* * *

"I'm quite ssssurprissssed that Kimimaro-kun wassss able to move hissss body in hissss condition," remarked Orochimaru. He was currently speaking through the body of the young prisoner from earlier. If it wasn't for Orochimaru's evil yellow eyes and creepy voice, one wouldn't even know that the boy no longer existed. "I haven't the faintesssst clue what you ssssaid to him, but it sssseemssss a little…cruel."

Kabuto chuckled to himself before replying, "I believe you're mistaken, Orochimaru-sama. I never 'ordered' the boy to do anything. He got up of his own volition and went to get your new body. You know he worships the ground you walk on."

"But of coursssse," giggled Orochimaru. "That issss the whole point of everything we've been doing. I want to become Kami, and I want to be worsssshipped.

"It's a sssshame though. Kimimaro'ssss clan possssessssed the mosssst powerful bodiessss. Hissss body consssstantly regeneratessss without prompt, unlike yourssss. I would have never had to ssssteal another body again. I think I sssshould have left ssssome of his clanssssmen alive."

* * *

Kimimaro had finally reached the end of the forest. He now stood in a large grassland. Ten miles north of his present location was the Ta-Hi border; once he crossed it, the Konoha-nin couldn't follow him. Or at least, so he had hoped.

"I'll have to kill Tayuya-chan if she somehow manages to survive dealing with your friend. She let the both of you escape," said Kimimaro as he placed the container down and turned to face Naruto and Satsu.

Satsu turned to Naruto and said, "I can't read his mind, just like those other creeps. We'll have to work together to overpower him and take Sasuke back. Hopefully, Shikamaru-taichou will get the job done with that girl."

Naruto nodded and asked, "What's the plan? You're a lot better at that then me." Naruto nodded as Satsu relayed the plan to him. The Kitsune roared and activated his yokai cloak. "_**What does Orochimaru want with Sasuke?**_"

"Shodaime-sama has created a Kinjutsu that allows him to attain immortality," began Kimimaro. "He desires to overthrow the man you worship as Kami and assume that title for himself. In order to do that, Shodaime-sama needs time."

"What does that have to do with what my comrade has asked?" Satsu spoke up.

"Immortality doesn't affect one's body, but their spirit and chakras. In order for his essence to live on, he must replace his body with a newer, stronger one before his old body dies," answered the Oto-nin.

"_**That's what Sasuke's for?**_" roared Naruto angrily. The Kitsune and Satsu made a hand seal as Kimimaro forced a sword-shaped bone out of his palm. "_**I won't allow you to do that to him!**_"

"You don't have a choice!" Kimimaro roared back as the three ninja rushed at each other.

* * *

Tayuya and Shikamaru stared each other down, neither ninja moving an inch. The girl was the first to speak, taunting, "You're a fucking fool for letting your comrades go on without you! What can you do with that puny ass justu of yours? From what I can see, you sacrificed members of your team to save one motherfucker who in a matter of moments will cease to exist. Does he give you some good dick? Is that why you can't bear to be without him? If you want, I'll take you with me to Oto so you two can be together."

Shikamaru answering, "This was my first mission as a squad leader, and I had major doubts about sacrificing my friends to continue this mission. A true team leader doesn't conscientiously put his teammates in any danger; he halts the mission and either retreats or regroups. That is what the rule of thumb dictates." The Chuunin smirked before finishing, "But if I let you escape with Sasuke without trying, that wouldn't make for a good story, now would it? [_**1**_]"

* * *

Kiokure pulled himself out of a pile of debris and shook his head as his nanoviruses began to heal his injuries. '_My head feels like I just drank a whole bottle of Fukidemono and then put my brain in a blender,_' thought the Genin as he looked at the cliff. '_That was a pretty steep fall. Obito-sensei must have used his Sharingan to save me because I should be dead now. Wait, where the hell is he?_' As if on cue, a bloody, mangled hand rose out of the debris. It was Sakon; he had taken on a lot more injuries than Kiokure had, but was nonetheless still very angry and ready to kill the boy. Kiokure screamed in shock before reaching in his pouch to grab the Eiki no Fukumen, but realized something more frightening than the enraged hanyou before him.

'_WHERE THE HELL IS MY NINJA TOOL POUCH?_' thought a panicking Kiokure.

* * *

Next Time: Sasuke! You broke out! Now we can—wait what the hell is wrong with you?

_Free? Uchiha Orochimaru?_

* * *

1- Shikamaru just broke the fourth wall! Hey little buddy!

* * *

A short chapter that I'm using to set up the next one so sorry if it disappoints. The next chapter will have an enraged Satsu vs. Kimimaro, a lazy Shikamaru vs. Tayuya, and a Eiki no Fukumen-less Kiokure vs. Sakon, and once they're done, it's Naruto and Sasuke! Only three chapters left (the final battle between Naruto and Sasuke might just be my largest update ever)!

_Gaiden _is also up! Check it out!


	47. Sasuke Retrieval Arc VI

_**Shingen Takeda 1521:**_ You'll see in the last chapter. Only two more left after this.

Thanks to _**Rose Tiger**_ and _**Prince Raistlin **_for the support!

* * *

_Free? Uchiha Orochimaru?_

* * *

'_I'm not gonna last very long here,_' thought Shikamaru as he felt Tayuya's chakra spike. '_My chakra reserves are the smallest out of the Konoha 15, as well as my stamina, strength, and speed. If this girl possesses a Cursed Seal like Sasuke, even my own quick thinking won't help me._'

The foulmouthed Oto-nin slammed her hand into the ground and shouted, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!"

Three grotesque oni appeared behind Tayuya, each one uglier than the last. Shikamaru gulped as he thought, '_Now, I'm outnumbered. I had a slim chance of at least surviving until the third person in Obito-sensei's party gets here; now that chance has been snuffed out. I have to figure out some way to delay these monsters, or at least weaken them. I know I won't make it out of here alive; I just don't know how Chouji and Ino will react to losing Obito-sensei and me on the same mission._'

Tayuya giggled as she pulled out her flute and said, "Let me play a melody of death for you, trash!"

Notes of harsh sound filled the otherwise still forest air, and the until then inactive oni awakened with a bloodcurdling roar, before leaping at the Konoha-nin.

* * *

Kiokure was slammed into a nearby stalagmite, groaning in pain as Sakon rushed up to him and released a volley of high speed punches to various points of his body. The pasty Oto-nin grabbed the younger man by his hair, but the latter dissolved into foul smelling black fumes.

The Masurao heir reformed from the fumes, hoping that Sakon would just drop dead from inhaling a random, fast acting virus. So imagine his surprise when and exact replica of Sakon burst out of the Oto-nin's back and continued the high powered assault on the Konoha-nin.

"Two-on-one is perfect, eh Ukon?" asked Sakon as he walked over to his brother.

The twin that had been hiding in Sakon's body chuckled before replying, "Yes indeed, little brother. He won't last very long against the both of us. You see, we know all about your clan and its jutsu; Shodaime-sama prepared us for it."

"He taught us how to manipulate our immune system in a way that prevents disease from affecting us in the same way that it does you mortals," finished Sakon.

Kiokure cursed under his breath as he thought, '_Crap! Without the Eiki no Fukumen, I have no jutsu other than my clan jutsu!_'

It was at this moment that Kiokure noticed something floating in the river a few meters to his left. It was the Eiki no Fukumen! Ukon had noticed it as well, but Kiokure had broken out into a mad dash for his prized possession. The older Oto-twin shouted, "Sakon! Kill the kid before he gets to the river!"

Sakon sprinted after Kiokure, who by now leapt from the bank to the river, hoping to snatch his mask up. The Oto-nin flung a shuriken with all his might and the enhanced power of his chakras. He smiled with glee as it ripped through the younger boy's side and became lodged in between his ribs. Kiokure fell ungracefully into the river, which was turning red from his blood.

* * *

Kimimaro quickly roundhouse kicked Naruto, knocking him away while at the same time placing a haymaker to the top of Satsu's head, grounding the blonde genius.

Naruto leapt up and made a hand seal before shouting, "Tajuu Kage Bunshin (_Multiple Shadow Clone Technique_)!"

A thousand clones appeared around Kimimaro, who forced to dagger-like bones out of his wrists. "Come and get it boys!" roared Kimimaro as he ran into the crowd, eviscerating the clones in the most artistic, but gruesome ways possible. After slaughtering the last clone, a wave of electricity ripped through the ground and hit the Oto-nin, causing him to roar in agonizing pain.

"Raiton: Kaiteise (_Lightning Release: Grounded Current_)[_**1**_]!" shouted Satsu. "Naruto, we have to think about this logically! In order for him to manipulate his bones in the way that he does, he has to either be a Doton master or at least be aligned with Doton chakras. I know a few Raiton jutsus, so if you distract him while I hit him with those, we can overpower him and take Sasuke back."

Kimimaro chuckled, and much to the Konoha-nin's surprise, stated, "That would work if my bones weren't laced with nonconductive minerals and metals. Shodaime Otokage-sama has erased every weakness from his most elite warriors."

* * *

"Nice job, Sakon!" remarked Ukon as he patted his brother on the back. "I thought you were gonna fuck this up like everything else you touch."

Sakon grit his teeth in annoyance, but any hopes of a witty comeback were stopped by a powerful tail smashing itself into the pasty Oto-twin's face. Sakon was flung to the other side of the valley like a rag doll. "**Ikujinashi is here, bastards!**"

Sure enough, the demon general stood before them in all of his glory, unlike when last we saw him. He looked the same, save for the massive white and magenta bat wings on his back and the extra set of arms on his torso.

Ukon wasted no time, rushing Ikujinashi, and laying down an impressive display of high speed Taijutsu. Sadly, it wasn't impressive enough to cause any sort of damage to the Demon General, who swatted the boy away like a black bear does to a pebble.

Sakon leapt over Ikujinashi and merged with his brother. "What the hell is this thing, Ukon?" shouted the boy with great fear.

"I don't know just shut up and activate the curse! Level Two!" replied Ukon hastily. The two boys split again, each transforming into a gruesome-looking oni. Their shoulder-length dark blue hair became longer and white; their skin had turned brick red; a horn on their foreheads; and large, brown scales had grown on their left and right sides respectively.

"**I dunno about all of this, Ukon,**" remarked Sakon as his twin rubbed the part of his body throbbing from the impact. "**I think that we should take this slow and enjoy ourselves; how often do we get such a powerful opponent? I want to enjoy myself.**"

Ukon looked at Sakon incredulously before replying, "**Didn't you see how he tossed me around like a rag doll? This kid is a pseudo-jinchuuriki for the most powerful oni in history and you want to take it slow? You're a fuck-tarded piece of shit!**"

Ikujinashi growled in annoyance before asking, "**Are you to girlies done with your sewing circle or can I kill you now?**"

With a primal war cry, Ukon raced toward Ikujinashi and the two engaged in another faced-paced, hand-to-hand combat session. The Demon General was surprised to see that the kid was keeping up with him.

_You shouldn't be surprised,_ observed Kiokure telepathically to his demon ward. _The mask only absorbed the amount of yokai you possessed before you died, which isn't much. That and Orochimaru's curse seal magnifies these losers' chakra tenfold._

"**C'mon bitch; you don't have shit on me!**" roared Ikujinashi as he grabbed Ukon's arm and tossed him into the air. He spun around, jabbed Sakon in his chest, and flung him into the air after his brother. "**Oni Bijutsu: Kyuutai no Kujo (**_**Demon Art: Orb of Destruction**_**)[**_**2**_**]!**"

A magenta orb of yokai burst from Ikujinashi's mouth, crashing into the twins with a massive explosion.

* * *

The clubs of Tayuya's Oni summons smashed into the tree branch that Shikamaru sat on. Or rather, was sitting upon.

"You're pretty heavy for a scrawny runt of a man."

Tayuya spun around to see Haku holding Shikamaru like a newlywed bride. Haku ungracefully dropped the boy on the ground before eying Tayuya with obvious disdain. "So this is the person that's been giving you boys trouble? She doesn't look like much."

Tayuya growled in anger before screaming at Haku, "FUCK YOU, YOU DUMB BITCH!"

A vein bulged in Haku's forehead as she spat back, "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A DUMB BITCH, YOU SLUT?"

Shikamaru groaned in annoyance, his only thought being, '_This is about to become troublesome._'

Tayuya activated her curse, and a lightning bolt pattern spread over her body. She began to play a wild tune, exciting her summons, who charged the ice maiden. "Shikamaru, stay the fuck outta my way!" shouted Haku.

Shikamaru didn't need to be told twice; in fact, he hadn't need to be told at all because he had already hidden. Haku jumped on top of the first oni's head, kicking off as the second slammed his club into his brethren's head in an attempt to bludgeon the Ice Maiden.

'_It seems like she uses her flute to control the oni,_' thought Haku as she gracefully leapt over Oni 3 as he clumsily tried to punch her with his cesti. Dodging that attack left her vulnerable for Oni 2's club, which was intent on becoming very intimate with her face.

* * *

Ikujinashi's eyes widened as the smoke cleared and he was greeted by the twins standing on a fearsome gate fashioned to look like a demon's face. The Demon General roared in anger at the twins, "**This is the Rashomon Gate that guarded the capital city of the Makai! How did you get this?**"

Ukon chuckled before saying, "**Orochimaru-sama attacked that city to capture demons for his Curse Seal and took a liking to this impregnable wall. He had them ripped away so we could utilize them for an ultimate defense.**"

Ikujinashi roared in anger as his magenta yokai swirled around him. He flapped his wings in anger, took off toward the twins, and shouted, "**Oni Bijutsu: Meruto Himatsu (**_Demon Art: Melting Spray_**)[**_3_**]!**"

Sakon used his speed to leap out of the way, but his slower brother wasn't fast enough. Ikujinashi sprayed him with a foul smelling red mist, which slowly began to burn his skin off.

"**Time to end this!**" shouted Ikujinashi as he made a hand seal. "**Hanshokusuji (**_Muscle Multiplier_**)[**_4_**]**"

The Demon General's muscles bulged uncontrollably as his bloodcurdling battle cry paralyzed Sakon. He materialized instantly before him, and thrust his elbow at his heart. The Oto-nin barely managed to throw his right arm in the way, but that did little good for him. The force of the blow, completely demolished the bone in his arm, leaving it forever useless.

Before Ikujinashi could deliver the final blow, Ukon leapt up behing him, intent on saving his brother's life. All he managed to do was get hit in the shoulder with the Demon General's tail. All that left Ukon's now useless left arm attached to his torso were several nearly rotted strips of meat. Ikujinashi watched with disdain as the two boys plummeted to the earth with a sickening thud.

Ikujinashi dropped to the earth after them, his jutsu suddenly failing on him. "**Shit, it is happening already,**" he murmured softly.

_Ikujinashi-sensei! What the hell is going on?_

'**I have used too much of my yokai. The Kyuutai no Kujo is a high powered attack, and it would have killed these pathetic dogs if it were not for the fact that they pilfered the Rashomon Gates from the Makai. I need you to switch with me.**'

_Wh-Wh-What? I can't! Did you forget that I lost a pint and a half of blood because I have a shuriken lodged in between my lung and my rib? I won't be able to breathe enough to do anything and I'll die here!_

'**Well if I die of yokai exhaustion here, you will be trapped in this mask forever, or until somebody can solve its riddle! This is the moment you have been waiting for! Do not disappoint your comrades, Chuuko, or your father!**'

…_Alright. I think…no, I know I'm ready!_

Ikujinashi smiled as a violent maelstrom of chakra surrounded him. '**Atta boy!**'

The chakra calmed down, revealing Kiokure. His side was covered in blood and the Eiki no Fukumen covered his face. He slowly took it off, and the mask shone with a bright magenta light before exploding into tiny, magenta orbs. Kiokure's body greedily absorbed them until none were left.

"**For a thousand years, my clan protected the Eiki no Fukumen in the hopes of completing the task left to us by Ikujinashi-sama. 'Destroy the mask, and I shall bless you with my power.' All attempts until today failed. This mask gave Ikujinashi the power to be brave when he couldn't; so the answer on how to destroy it was hidden among us, right under our noses.**"

Kiokure opened his eyes, revealing them to be magenta now instead of their usual light brown [_**5**_]. "**The answer was to be brave!**"

The pseudo-demon jammed his hand into his wound, pulling out the shuriken with a primal roar of pain. Kiokure began to fill the shuriken with his volatile yokai. With a powerful flick, the blood drenched shuriken zoomed across the rocky valley, ripping through Ukon's throat and ending his life.

"**Ukon!**" roared Sakon in anguish as his brother's life force spilled out on the ground.

Kiokure smirked before screaming as his blood gushed out of his injuries faster. He collapsed, unable to handle the pain. Sakon grabbed a sharp rock and trudged toward the thrashing boy.

"**You have been a thorn in my side for too damn long!**" roared Sakon as he stood over Kiokure, who could only watch with the dejected realization that he would still die here. "**It's time to rid the world of one more demon scum!**"

Before the Oto-nin could kill his rival, he dropped his rock and screamed in pain. He stumbled away from Kiokure before bursting into black flames.

"Am I late for the party?" Kiokure looked up to see Obito standing on the other side of the riverbank.

* * *

Haku smirked as the club drew closer to her. Her body turned into pure liquid, and the club smashed into her, causing water to splash everywhere. She quickly reformed her body, preferring to stay in her pure liquid form.

"How do you like my Mizu Yoroi (_Water Armor_)[_**7**_]?" asked Haku mockingly.

Tayuya growled in anger as she began to play her flute, but her oni didn't move. Haku was quick to notice this, saying to Tayuya, "So you control the oni with your flute. I'm guessing that specific songs make your summons do specific things? And if you play one note wrong, then your oni don't do anything?"

Tayuya chuckled before replying, "So I see you've figured out the mechanics of my jutsu. But I'll warn you now, if you don't understand the melodies I play completely, you won't be able to protect yourself."

Haku smirked as Shikamaru leapt from behind Tayuya, kunai in hand. The Ice Maiden's smugness quickly gave way to frustrated disgust as Shikamaru was effortlessly flung at a nearby tree. "I swear he's useless!" groaned Haku as Tayuya began to play her flute.

The oni came to life with an evil roar as they raced to the dazed Shikamaru. Haku solidified her body, made a hand seal, then shouted, "Suiton: Eda no Shimo (Water Release: Limbs of Frost)!" The moisture in the air froze around the oni, creating a thin sheet of ice that prevented them from moving. "Haul ass, you lazy bum!" shouted Haku as Shikamaru came to his senses and ran away from the oni as they broke free.

"Shikamaru, can you figure out a way to get us past these guys?" asked Haku.

"If her flute controls the oni, then there has to be set sections or arrangements, like in sheet music. Each individual musical note seems to send out an individual order, and complex orders are given with more complex notes."

Haku groaned in annoyance before replying, "I know this already!"

"If we can figure which melodies go with which commands, we can then predict her next move and end this!" finished Shikamaru.

"Ok I'll handle the music and fighting; you give me support, got it?" ordered Haku.

Tayuya burst into a raucous laughter before shouting, "No one has heard my melodies and lived to tell the tale!" She made a quick hand seal before shouting, "Kyuuba-su: Kyou no Hyakkiyagyou (_The Ninth Verse: The Turmoil of Pandemonium_)!"

Tayuya began to play an extremely fast-paced, frenzied melody. The oni became enraged and began smashing whatever was in their path. They then leapt at the Konoha-nin with incredible speed, weapons intent on becoming a bit too friendly with their bodies.

Haku used her superior speed to leap into the air, while Shikamaru dove into his shadow, barely managing to avoid being a puddle of blood in the crater the oni had made. The demons opened their mouths and spectral beings with many mouths leaked out.

The Ice Maiden rebounded off of a nearby tree, flipping over the specters that now raced toward her, their razor sharp teeth ready to rip her to pieces.

"Kageton: Kagehei (_Shadow Release: Shadow Wall_)[_**8**_]!" shouted Shikamaru from the Kage no Bun'ya.

A tall wall of black smoke rose up in between the specters and Haku. Two of the specters ran into the wall, never to be seen again; their oni hosts dropped lifelessly to the ground. The last one maneuvered over the wall and bit Haku. She watched as the specter began to pull her soul out of her body through her arm. Try as she might, she couldn't get the specter to let go. Suddenly, a paper plane touched the specter, causing it to roar in pain and free Haku. The girl wasted no time grabbing the plane as she hit the soft earth below her.

Tayuya laughed before explaining, "These spirits are demons known as Hirukon (_Soul Leeches_). They feed on the souls of anything foolish enough to stumble upon them and then make that creature their host until they find a stronger soul to devour."

"Haku, keep that tag on you!" shouted Shikamaru as his wall collapsed. "Those are Miko Tags that purify any yokai sent at you!"

The Ice Maiden activated her Mizu no Yoroi and let her aquatic body wash over the seal. "Fuck this!" she shouted as she leapt at the last oni's mouth. After he had swallowed Haku whole, his body began to expand until her exploded into chunks of meat, bone, and blood. Haku reformed herself, a disgusted look on her face.

"I am never doing that again!" groaned Haku as she purified her aquatic form before solidifying.

Tayuya cursed under her breath before murmuring to herself, "To think I would have to go to the second fucking level against these low-level bitches…"

Tayuya groaned as her skin became brown and six ivory horns burst from her scalp. "**It's time that I took this serious!**" shouted the Oto-nin. "**You fuckers are both clever and lucky, but that won't take you far against me!**"

Haku gulped slightly before saying, "This is the same kind of dark energy that radiates from Sasuke-kun. It's a lot stronger, though. I have to end this now!" Haku made several hand seals before shouting, "Hyouton: Hyouki no—"

Tayuya roared, and the high notes in her roar paralyzed the Ice Maiden and the lazy-nin. The Oto-nin then began to play a melody on her flute. "**Mateki: Mugen Onsa (**_Demonic Flute: Phantom Sound Chains_**)!**"

Haku's body went rigid as she could feel her skin, muscle, and tissue begin to melt right off of her bones. The unbelievable pain wracked her body, causing her vision to blur.

Tayuya chuckled, asking, "Do you have any last words?"

Haku chuckled before replying, "Not really. But I think my comrade does."

"Die bitch!" shouted Shikamaru as he stabbed the confused Oto-nin in the base of her neck, exactly where her curse seal was.

Tayuya's eyes and mouth began to radiate with purple yokai as she reached behind her to remove the ninja tool. Shikamaru didn't give her the chance as he pushed her into the pool of shadows below. He watched with satisfaction as she sunk into the Kage Bun'ya.

"How did you know that was gonna work?" asked Haku as Tayuya's genjutsu deactivated and she slumped to the ground, just as tired as Shikamaru.

"I didn't really," explained Shikamaru. "But I remembered when Sasuke fought Akado Yoroi. He absorbed the energy of the seal by touching it, so I figured that the seal works like a generator; damage it enough and it'll explode!"

Haku chuckled to herself before replying, "Have I ever told you you're a fucking genius?"

"You could stand to mention it more."

* * *

Naruto was knocked away for the umpteenth time, making him extremely pissed off. Satsu was at his wits end trying to figure out a strategy for killing Kimimaro. He was a genius, yes, but wasn't the best at coming up with plans on the fly like Shikamaru. Raiton didn't work, and using any other jutsu was countered or useless as well. He was starting to get angry that he was losing, and clutched his chest in pain as his Gekidoshin began to throb.

"It's over," stated Kimimaro monotonously as he approached the two panting Konoha-nin. "Are you ready to—"

Kimimaro stopped mid-speech as the lid to the container Sasuke was in slid off. The boy pulled himself out, his bangs obscuring his face. Naruto smiled widely as he shouted, "Oy! Sasuke! It's about time you woke up! We've been chasing you for a whole day now! Help us waste this—"

"SSSShut up, Naruto-kun," said 'Sasuke' as he lifted his face, revealing eyes filled to the brim with malice. "SSSSassssuke-kun issss no longer among ussss; jusssst call me…Uchiha Orochimaru from now on!"

Satsu lost it at this point, and purple yokai wrapped around his form. "**Father!**" he roared as his Gekidoshin activated completely, beginning his horrible mutation into an oni.

* * *

Next Time: **Naruto, catch up to Sasuke! I can't keep the power of the Gekidoshin back any more! If you stick around, I'll only end up killing you t—!**

_Gekidoshin Unleashed! Satsu's Last Stand!_

* * *

1- Raiton: Kaiteise (_Lightning Release: Grounded Current_): The user releases a bolt of lightning through the ground. This technique is used as a sneak attack, as it is weaker than normal Raiton attacks released through the ground.

2- Oni Bijutsu: Kyuutai no Kujo (_Demon Art: Orb of Destruction_): The user releases an orb of volatile yokai. Plain and simple.

3- Oni Bijutsu: Meruto Himatsu (_Demon Art: Melting Spray_): The user turns their volatile yokai into a thin mist and sprays it at their target. The yokai then erodes any living material caught in its path.

4- Hanshokusuji (_Muscle Multiplier_): A technique derived from the Goken style of Taijutsu. The user uses their chakra to make their muscles denser, multiplying the force of their blows in proportion to their chakra.

5- Kiokure is now one of three pseudo-demons. He's still human, but possesses all of Ikujinashi's yokai now. The other two will be revealed shortly.

6- This scene is actually the only thing from my pre-planning that wasn't completely edited. I had always intended for Kiokure to realize the true purpose of the mask's riddle was to make him become brave on his own. I also intended for him to fight Sakon and Ukon with his newfound strength. The only thing I changed was him killing them both on his own.

7- Mizu Yoroi (_Water Armor_): The user turns their body into pure water, making them invulnerable to Taijutsu and lessening the effectiveness of Raiton jutsu. The user becomes more susceptible to Katon jutsu.

8- Kageton: Kagehei (_Shadow Release: Shadow Wall_): The user manipulates a nearby shadow into forming a wall, sending anything that touches it into the Kage Bun'ya.

* * *

Freaking out because they're cracking down on scanlations, the force that's been keeping this story alive! I have to completely revise Rosuto now! Damn, damn, DAMN!


	48. Sasuke Retrieval Arc VII

_**Red-Volpe:**_ Kiokure is definitely my favorite OC! And it's ok bro, my own personal life forced me to become inconsistent with my updates -_- but I'm trying to change that.

_**Shingen Takeda 1521:**_ Well, you're going to love this chapter. The canon is practically nonexistent here.

_**Nine-tailed curse**_: I don't know if in the canon she was an Inuzuka, but she had the same facial markings as them so I put her in their clan for my story.

Thanks to _**Camo 005, Evci**_ and _**Uzumaki Ricky **_for the support!

* * *

_Gekidoshin Unleashed! Satsu's Last Stand!_

* * *

"Huh, sssso the Gekidosssshin actually worked?" remarked Orochimaru [_**1**_] as his son's body began to mutate. "I wissssh I could sssstay and view just how ssssuccesssssful my Kinjutssssu issss, but I have to get my new sssson to Otogakure."

Orochimaru smirked sadistically as his comment forced Satsu over the edge. The blonde genius roared with an unearthly tone, screaming out, "**Father! Why don't you love me?**"

"Becausssse," spat Orochimaru as he turned from the two Konoha-nin and his subordinate, "you are a weakling. Kimimaro-kun, kill thesssse two, then join me forever in paradisssse!"

Orochimaru took off, and Kimimaro moved in between Naruto and his demonic comrade. The blonde Kitsune watched with great apprehension as Satsu squirmed and groaned, attempting to will away his mutation.

"**Naruto-kun, you have to save Sasuke-kun!**" moaned Satsu as the yokai pouring from his body became ever more potent.

"I'm not leaving you here like this Satsu!" shouted Naruto. "This Skeletor freak is gonna kill you in your state!"

Satsu lifted his head up, and Naruto couldn't believe what he saw. The genius' skin was completely red now; his eyes had become completely gold; his platinum blonde hair was now white. "**Get out of here! Once I transform, I no longer recognize the difference between friend and foe! Just get Sasuke back, you fucking idiot!**"

Naruto nodded as he took off after Orochimaru. Kimimaro chased after him, but a massive, red fist smashed into his face, allowing Naruto to slip from sight.

Kimimaro looked up to see a much more muscular Satsu standing over him with a crazed expression. The Oto-nin forced a bone spear out of his chest and into the demon's own. Satsu just ripped the bone out, but Kimimaro used the distraction to get some distance between them.

The two stared each other down for a few moments before releasing a primal war cry and charging each other. Kimimaro forced three sharp bones out of his forearm; Satsu's hand radiated with red yokai before becoming a jagged blade. The two leapt at each other, ready to bear down and kill each other.

Satsu giggled sadistically as his weapon proved to be stronger and he cut Kimimaro's hand cleanly off. He opened his mouth as blood gushed from the wound, hoping to ingest the red fluid. Kimimaro attempted to fire a bone kunai at the distracted ninja, but Satsu's left hand radiated with red yokai before transforming into a shield, deflecting the weapon.

Kimimaro formed another bone sword and leapt at the Konoha-nin, unleashing a massive barrage of slashes at the red shield. Satsu blocked them all, but the speed of the assault knocked him off balance. This resulted in the opening Kimimaro desperately wanted. With a roar, the Oto-nin thrust his blade at Satsu's heart. The demon smirked as the bone bounced off of his now diamond hard skin. He opened his mouth, releasing a massive stream of fire at Kimimaro.

The Oto-nin barely managed to escape, although he didn't escape unscathed. His injured arm was severely burnt, but that didn't seem to faze Kimimaro.

'_Those weapons of his seem to make him slower and a lot less agile,_' thought Kimimaro as Satsu stared him down sadistically. '_Time to use that to my advantage!_'

Satsu smirked as he transformed his weapons into two cannon-like appendages. "**I am a member of the Toppyoushimonai Clan,**" stated Satsu with a crazed grin as the Ganjouomoi activated. "**I can still read your mind!**"

Satsu began firing at the shocked Oto-nin, fire out of his left cannon and lighting out of the right. Kimimaro dodged the attacks, but the Konoha-nin expected this, firing a small, red orb of yokai at Kimimaro. Unable to dodge, the Oto-nin took the orb to the chest and was knocked around in the resulting explosion.

* * *

"Are you going to be ok here, Kiokure-kun?" asked Obito as he removed a red tube from his ninja pouch.

"**I'm fine,**" answered Kiokure-kun with a nod as a veil of magenta yokai wrapped around his form, slowly healing his injuries. "**The better question is, are you ok?**"

Obito nodded, replying, "Yeah, I used my Sharingan to transport me a few clicks away during the explosion. No damage done to me."

"_**Uh, I wasn't talking about that. Your eye is bleeding,**_" observed Kiokure.

Obito touched his face, and sure enough, blood was on his fingers. "Eh, I'm fine squirt." The Uchiha sent a bit of chakra into the red tube and tossed it. The tube began to release a thick plume of red smoke, which rose up the valley. "Just stay here till the medics come. The flare will let them know where you're at, but don't touch it! It's rigged to explode if anyone but me touches it. I'm going to catch up to Naruto-kun and the others."

Obito vanished, and Kiokure allowed himself to rest.

* * *

Kimimaro placed his palms on the ground before whispering, "Doton: Gahou no Shida (Earth Release: Spores of a Fern)[_**2**_]."

Satsu leapt back as several large bone spikes burst from the ground in an attempt to skewer the pseudo-demon, albeit quite unsuccessfully. The possessed-nin formed two katana out of his forearms and launched himself with a sickening howl at Kimimaro.

'_His speed has increased twofold in such a short amount of time!_' thought Kimimaro as he prepared to defend the attack.

Satsu leapt at Kimimaro, spinning his body so that his left katana would arc toward Kimimaro's neck. The Oto-nin deftly dodged the attack, but was in for a shock. The Konoha-nin had transformed his left foot into a sledgehammer, and the two became quite friendly. A sickening crunch filled the air as Kimimaro was knocked about twenty yards away.

Transforming his feet into springs, Satsu bounded after the dazed Kimimaro, intent on stabbing him in his heart. The Oto-nin flipped, but Satsu was able to predict this and stabbed Kimimaro in his injured arm. He reformed his leg into a hammer and kicked the Oto-nin in his chest, knocking him across the plain. Satsu squealed in sadistic glee as he chased after him, spinning his body with increasing velocity until he resembled a red twister.

'_This is too much!_' thought Kimimaro as he tried to recover in time to defend himself. '_He's too unpredictable, and on top of that, his speed seems to increase constantly! I have no choice but to activate my curse!_'

Kimimaro finally regained control of his body and shouted, "Tsubaki no Mai (_Dance of the Camellia_)!"

The Oto-nin forced a bone out of his arm to form a hiltless blade. Kimimaro roared evilly as he unleashed a barrage of high speed slashes, swipes, and stabs at Satsu. The Konoha-nin dodged them all easily. He transformed his right hand into a clamp and grabbed Kimimaro's left hand, crushing it and effectively stopping his assault. Grinning maniacally, Satsu punched the Oto-nin in the chest, knocking him back a few yards.

Kimimaro pulled off his shirt slowly as his curse slowly spread across his body. He forced six sharp bones out of his left forearm and raced toward Kimimaro. Satsu parried and blocked all of the Oto-nin's attacks, but even in his delusional state noted that Kimimaro's speed now matched his own.

With a primal warcry, Kimimaro forced his rib cage out of his chest toward Satsu. The Konoha-nin's eyes widened as he bent over backwards to dodge the attack, but one of the ribs lodged itself in his upper leg.

Kimimaro materialized behind Satsu and murmured, "Karamatsu no Mai (_Dance of the Larch_)!"

Bones erupted from all over Kimimaro's torso, much to the shock of Satsu. Kimimaro unleashed the most savage, high-speed assault Satsu had ever witnessed. The Konoha-nin could no longer keep up and was knocked away, bleeding profusely from his injuries.

"Play time is over, boy!" roared Kimimaro as he rushed toward Satsu.

The demon transformed his left hand into a sledgehammer and smashed the weapon into the ground, causing a powerful tremor and slightly throwing off the Oto-nin's movements. Satsu took off for Kimimaro, transforming his sledgehammer into a katana. With a primal howl, the katana was thrust at Kimimaro's heart…and blocked by the bones that burst out of his chest. The demon-nin's eyes widened when he realized he was stuck and couldn't move.

"You forget that I can generate these bones from any point on my body at anytime," chuckled Kimimaro as Satsu struggled in vain to get free. "You have been a worthy opponent, but this is the end."

With graceful fluidity, Kimimaro raised his arm in preparation to kill Satsu. Before he could issue the finishing blow, a small shield made of dragon scales materialized in front of Satsu's face, blocking the attack.

"Good thing I came when I did."

Kimimaro angrily whipped his head to the right to see Obito standing 20 yards away. Satsu used the distraction to pry his arm loose and launched himself at Obito. The Uchiha activated his Sharingan and stared down the approaching oni.

Satsu stopped in his tracks as his yokai bubbled around him. He howled in great anger as he reverted back to his human form. Obito walked toward Kimimaro, saying, "Now that nuisance is out of the way, I'll take care of you and get my nephew back."

"Uchiha Obito, also known as the Sennin no Ryukibo (_Sage of the Dragon Scales_)," remarked Kimimaro as he watched the Konoha-nin with veiled interest. "Your reputation precedes you."

"As does yours, Kaguya-san," replied Obito. "But, reputations don't faze me."

'_Uchiha Obito can summon impregnable dragon scales wherever he pleases, making close range fighting difficult, but not impossible,_' thought Kimimaro as he forced his bones to retreat back into his body.

Obito struck first, completing a quick chain of hand seals before shouting, "Katon: Napa-muryu (_Fire Release: Dragon Napalm_) [_**3**_]!"

A massive orange stream of fire raced from Obito's mouth and ripped across the clearing toward Kimimaro. The skeleton-nin leapt over the jutsu and began firing tiny bone pellets at Obito. The Uchiha spun around, surrounding himself in the hot flames. Kimimaro's attack passed through the flames and instantly melted.

'_There's no way anyone could survive that,_' thought Kimimaro. Sadly, he was quite mistaken.

Obito burst from the side of his flaming dome and rushed Kimimaro. The fire began to swirl around Obito's fist as he roared, "Katon: Ryukobushi (_Fire Release: Dragon's Fist_) [_**4**_]!"

Kimimaro leapt backwards, but Obito stretched out and smashed his fist into the ground. The resulting explosion knocked Kimimaro into the air. The Uchiha head used his superior speed to chase after Orochimaru's herald.

Obito drew six shuriken as he leapt higher then Kimimaro and flung them at the still dazed boy. He flinched in anticipation of the tools burying themselves in his flesh, but much to his shock, all six shuriken completely missed him. Kimimaro recovered by then, and fired more bone pellets at Obito as they made their descent back to earth.

The Uchiha head summoned two chokuto and deflected all of the pellets. He straightened his body and extended his two chokuto. With a primal roar, Obito accelerated toward Kimimaro. The Oto-nin forced a bone out of his chest, causing Obito to shift to avoid it.

The two chokuto embedded themselves into the ground on either side of Kimimaro. The skeleton-nin roared as he forced a mass of sharp bones out of his torso toward Obito. This was done in vain, as Obito merely vanished.

Obito materialized about twenty yards away, a katana in hand. Kimimaro also materialized behind him, bone sword in hand. The two exchanged a high-speed volley of swipes, thrusts, and jabs. Obito placed a ferocious block on one of Kimimaro's swipes, knocking off his equilibrium. He slammed his palm into Kimimaro's chest; the boy screamed in pain as electricity coursed through his body.

Kimimaro forced himself away from the Neo-Sennin, clutching his chest in pain. "You truly are every bit as powerful as I have heard, Uchiha-san," panted Kimimaro. A faint smile etched its way across his face. "But surely, you are holding back against me, even as I go all out in my present state."

"I know all about Orochimaru's curse and how it works," remarked Obito. "Don't think for a minute I'll allow you to transform!"

Kimimaro smirked before screaming back, "You don't have a choice!"

He fired a massive bone spear at the still unconscious Satsu. Obito cursed himself as he quickly thought, '_Damn it! I can't summon a dragon scale shield dense enough to shave him without activated my Mangekyou, and if I save him, this freak is gonna transform!_'

Obito cursed himself as he materialized in front of his comrade's prone body. Without a powerful roar, the Uchiha had used his katana to deflect the powerful weapon.

A dark, foreboding energy engulfed the grassy battlefield, causing Obito to curse himself. "**You Konoha-nin are too soft. If your comrade becomes a liability on the battlefield them that is where he should stay!**"

Kimimaro came into Obito's line of vision, and the Uchiha could do nothing but curse at his opponent's new appearance. Kimimaro's body hadn't changed much: his skin had become an unnatural brownish-grey color and his severed hand had regenerated. Six large bones jutted from the demon's back in a starfish like pattern, and a long bone tail slithered menacingly behind him.

"You know, your transformation really brings out your eyes," quipped Obito.

"**Is this a game to you?**" roared Kimimaro as he rushed Obito with tremendous speed.

"Katon: Uzumaki no Shinsei (_Fire Release: Whirlpool of Fire_)[_**5**_]!" shouted Obito as he belched a mass of flames at Kimimaro.

The fire consumed the demon, but Obito didn't get comfortable. He leapt away from the inferno and began making hand seals. Kimimaro burst from the inferno, unscathed and angrier.

Obito slammed his hands on the ground and shouted, "Doton: Doryuheki (_Earth Release: Earth Style Wall_)!"

A wall of rocks materialized out of the ground, but Kimimaro smashed his way through the wall as if it was made out of wet paper. Obito and Satsu were no longer behind the wall, which only seemed to fuel Kimimaro's unbridled rage.

"_**Where are you coward?**_" he screamed. "_**Fight me like a real warrior!**_"

Satsu materialized in front of him, throwing a rapid barrage of kicks and punches. Kimimaro dodged all but one kick, but it barely fazed the Oto-nin. He wrapped his tail around the boy's neck and flung him high into the sky.

"**So the boy is awake?**" observed Obito. "**At least he's more of a man than y—**"

Obito materialized in front of the Oto-nin, placing his hand on the boy's face. Electricity coursed through Kimimaro's body, but he swatted Obito away with his tail.

'_The transformation may have made his overall speed faster, but his upper body movements have slowed significantly,_' observed Obito.

Kimimaro chuckled as he reached behind his back. "**I hope you are prepared to die, Uchiha-sennin**_**,**_" he smugly stated as he ripped his spinal cord from his back. "**For I am the strongest of Orochimaru-donno's demon heralds! Tessenka no Mai (**Dance of the Clematis**)!**" The Oto-nin took advantage of Obito's shock and attempted to wrap his spinal cord around him.

'_Shit!_' cursed the Uchiha head. He activated his Mangekyou and summoned a spiked dome of dragon scales.

Kimimaro chuckled before shouting, "**Kusabana (**Flower**)!**" All of the flesh and muscle on Kimimaro's left hand burst off of the appendage to make way for the massive, triangular bone sword that formed in its place. "**This is the strongest weapon my bones can create! Strong enough to pierce even the densest metals on earth! Now it's time for you to die Uchiha Obito-san!**"

The bone-nin jumped into the air, and brought his weapon down on the dome, splitting it in half. Blood splattered all over to Kimimaro, who smiled sadistically.

"Ganjouomoi!"

Kimimaro was lifted into the air and flung off into the distance. He was slammed into the ground hard, and realized that he could no longer move. His spine floated above him and then split in half.

"I guessed correctly," panted Satsu as he dropped to his knees. "You use your spine as a last resort; if it's destroyed, you can't grow it back, right? Well with no spine, you can't move! Now Obito-sensei, finish him!"

Kimimaro's eyes widened as an unharmed Obito appeared before him. He held his katana above his head, both hands clasped on the hilt of his blade. What had caught and fixated Kimimaro's eyes was the twitching hand the katana pierced.

Obito roared as he stabbed the Oto-nin in his stomach. He then began a long string of complex hand seals Kimimaro had never seen before.

"Renkinjutsu: Tenkuu: Natsuin no Shishionjun (_Alchemy: Ether: Seal of the Tamed Lion_)[_**6**_]!"

Kimimaro screamed as pain wracked his body. He watched helplessly as his yokai swirled around his body. Obito's sword absorbed the vile energy, and dark purple runes began to cover the blade.

"Wh-What did you do to me?" roared the Oto-nin as he reverted back to his human form.

"My Natsuin no Shishionjun absorbs the chakras that allow a being to use justu and seals it away within any medium of my choice," explained Obito. "Because it's a Renkinjutsu, I have to sacrifice something of equal value; I have to sacrifice something with chakras in it to execute this jutsu.

"That's where your severed hand came in. All severed limbs and appendages have a short lifespan before they 'die,' meaning there's chakra still flowing in them."

Kimimaro chuckled wistfully before asking, "Why? Why did you keep me alive? You should have killed me!"

"Don't think I pity you," Obito said as he turned his back and walked to Satsu. "I'm merely keeping you alive to ascertain Orochimaru's location."

"I shall never allow Orochimaru-donno to be compromised!" roared the Oto-nin as a forest of bone spikes forced their way out of the ground, consuming the Uchiha Lord and the Genin.

* * *

Next Time: Sasuke stop this foolishness! I don't want to have to hurt you but you're leaving me no choice!

_Endgame!_

* * *

1- Remember, I'm referring to Sasuke's possessed body as Orochimaru.

2- Doton: Gahou no Shida (_Earth Release: Spores of a Fern_): The user must possess the Shikotsumyaku kekkei genkei to utilize this jutsu. The user sends his bones into the ground and forces them out under his opponent, hoping to skewer them.

3- Katon: Napa-muryu (_Fire Release: Dragon Napalm_): The user releases a massive stream of fire. The jutsu is easy to dodge from long range, and is often used to distract an enemy or lead him into another jutsu.

4- Katon: Ryukobushi (_Fire Release: Dragon's Fist_): The user manipulates an existing source of fire to wrap around his fist. He then punches a target, creating an explosion proportional to the amount of fire used.

5- Katon: Uzumaki no Shinsei (_Fire Release: Whirlpool of Fire_): The user releases a swirling inferno that consumes a target.

6- Renkinjutsu: Tenkuu: Natsuin no Shishionjun (_Alchemy: Ether: Seal of the Tamed Lion_): The user channels all of a specific target's hostile energy into a medium and seals it away. Like all Renkinjutsu, a certain seal must be made in a target are for this jutsu to work.


	49. Sasuke Retrieval Arc VIII

_**Red-Volpe:**_ Kiokure is definitely my favorite OC! And it's ok bro, my own personal life forced me to become inconsistent with my updates -_- but I'm trying to change that.

_**Shingen Takeda 1521:**_ Well, you're going to love this chapter. The canon is practically nonexistent here.

_**Nine-tailed curse**_: I don't know if in the canon she was an Inuzuka, but she had the same facial markings as them so I put her in their clan for my story.

_**Shadows Chaos**_: I hate stories where Naruto is automatically all-powerful. It doesn't happen like that in real life; you have to work and train to achieve higher stages of power. Naruto will become extremely powerful but with time.

Thanks to _**Camo 005, Evci**_ and _**Uzumaki Ricky **_for the support!

* * *

DISCLAIMER: Things might get confusing so let me once more explain. Until the end of the chapter, Sasuke will be referred to as Orochimaru.

* * *

_Endgame!_

* * *

Kabuto sat nervously in Orochimaru's chambers as he watched attentively over his injured, prone leader. Silence filled the room, but Kabuto could feel his master's thoughts.

"I understand how you feel Shodaime-donno," replied Kabuto. "When waiting for what you want, it feels as if it's taking forever."

Silence.

"Has it really been two days?" inquired Kabuto as he stood up and walked to his master. "I'm pretty surprised; Kimimaro is the strongest soldier we have. Well, barring Juugo-kun but I don't know if we could consider that depraved maniac a soldier."

Silence.

"You rest easy. I'm sure Kimimaro will be here soon with your new body in tow."

* * *

Satsu opened his eyes slowly, and realized two things. One, he was still alive; two, he was back in the forest.

"Obito-sensei! What the hell just happened?" shouted Satsu as he tried to sit up. "I thought you sealed away all of his chakra?"

"I did," replied Obito as he turned his back to Satsu. "Kimimaro sacrificed his life chakras to kill us. If it wasn't for my Kamui jutsu, we'd be dead right now.

"Can you stand? If so, go back for Kiokure-kun, he was in pretty bad shape."

Satsu stood up and vanished, backtracking to his fallen comrade. Obito sighed and wiped away more blood from his eyes as he ran off in the direction Naruto and Sasuke went.

* * *

Naruto leapt past the last few of the forest's trees and was amazed at what he saw. A valley made of pure, white marble stretched across the northern border of Hi no Kuni. A massive waterfall a few kilometers to the west filled the deep crevice with crystal clear water. Two large statues sat directly across from each other at the base of the waterfall. On the statue leading to Oto no Kuni stood Orochimaru.

'_This is the Shumatsu no Tani (_Valley of the End_)!_' thought Naruto as he landed on the statue of the Shodaime Hokage.

_**The Valley of the End: the site of the final battle between Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama. How appropriate that this saga ends where it all began.**_

"Orochimaru!" shouted Naruto. Orochimaru ignored the Kitsune and began walking towards the Hi-Oto border. Naruto materialized in front of him and continued. "Do you really think I'm gonna let you leave with Sasuke?"

Orochimaru smirked evilly, "Yessss, you will. Now move. What doessss any of thissss have to do with you? I thought you hated Ssssassssuke? Wouldn't life be sssso much better with him gone?"

"I know Sasuke would never sink this low!" roared Naruto.

Orochimaru burst into a raucous laughter and spat back, "If that were true, I wouldn't have been able to take over hissss body assss eassssily assss I did! I'm feeling extraordinarily benevolent right now; return to Konoha or die here!"

Naruto broke into a mad dash toward Orochimaru and roared, "I won't leave here without Sasuke!"

Before Orochimaru could react, Naruto materialized behind him and roundhouse kicked him across the head of the statue. He didn't give the Hebi-sennin a chance to recover; in an instant he was on top of him delivering a powerful volley of punches to Orochimaru's face. He freed his arm and punched the Kitsune in his chest, knocking the boy off of the statue.

"I ssssee the power of the improved sssseal issss ssssynchronizing well with Ssssassssuke-kun'ssss body," chuckled Orochimaru.

He watched with disinterest as Naruto pulled himself out of the river and used his speed to quickly close the gap between them. Orochimaru met him halfway and avoided a sloppily thrown right hook. He countered the attempt with a roundhouse across the boy's face, knocking Naruto back toward the river.

The Kitsune smirked as he vanished and appeared to Orochimaru's left. He released a flurry of punches and kicks at the Otokage, all of which connected. The final kick knocked him into the eye of the statue of Madara [_**1**_].

A massive ball of fire burst from the eye, forcing Naruto to maneuver away. Orochimaru followed after him, punching the Kitsune in the face.

"I won't hold back any more!" roared Orochimaru as he followed Naruto.

* * *

"That speech you gave was very stirring, Yondaime-sama," congratulated the Fire Lord as Minato removed his Hokage robe in the safety of his office. "You're a natural orator, just like your grandfather, Seigyoku-sama. Speaking of him, my father was a tad disappointed that he opted to not become the Nidaime. Tobirama-sama did an excellent job, but we all believed in Seigyoku-sama."

"My clan never had any interests in politics," replied Minato as he poured two cups of green tea for him and the Fire Lord. "Truthfully, I only took the Hokage position at Hiruzen-sama's request. I was a hero to the village, and after Orochimaru's defection, they needed someone to believe in. I grew to love the job as the years went along."

The two sat at the Yondaime's desk and sipped their teas. "How is Naruto-kun?" asked the Fire Lord.

Minato smiled, and responded, "He was promoted to Chuunin just the other day."

The Fire Lord clapped his hands and jovially said, "You must be proud!" Minato nodded as he sipped his tea again. "I don't think I saw him during the declaration of war."

Minato's mood darkened a little and he answered, "I sent him and Nara Shikamaru on a mission that is vital to our war efforts. I'm sure you know about the Uchiha Tragedy."

"I have a limited knowledge of it," the Fire Lord said as he sipped his tea. "Uchiha Itachi murdered his clan in an attempt to fully unlock his Sharingan. Uchiha Obito and Uchiha Sasuke were the only survivors; Obito-san had just returned to the village at the time of the crime, and he arrived just in time to protect Sasuke-kun."

"You're half-right. There is more to the story than even I knew at first glance," replied Minato.

"Really?" asked the Fire Lord, his interest piqued. "What else happened? And what does this have to do with the war?"

"Uchiha Sasuke was attacked by Orochimaru a couple months ago during the Chuunin Exams. He was given a Curse Seal, a Fuuinjutsu that uses dark emotions in its victims to make them depraved and evil. Orochimaru activated this curse last night, and Sasuke-kun is presently en route to Otogakure no Sato."

"Not to sound harsh, but how can one Genin impact the war?"

"Sasuke possesses a fully matured Sharingan. If Orochimaru is allowed to take the boy, he'll be able to use that Sharingan to master the most complicated Kinjutsu in the world with little effort. He can then use Sasuke to eliminate us."

The Fire Lord leaned back in his seat and muttered, "Damn."

"It is because of this that I ordered Nara Shikamaru covertly to bring Sasuke back dead or alive; if he resists too much, kill him."

"But the Sharingan is endanger of going extinct!" shouted the Fire Lord. "Surely, you would like for us to keep one of our biggest advantages over the other four nations?"

"We still have Obito and Shikan," Minato replied. "They can rebuild the Uchiha Clan."

"If you say so," replied the Fire Lord. "Now, tell me the truth behind the Uchiha Clan massacre. I must now."

"It begins with Uchiha Fugaku," stated Minato, pausing briefly to drink his tea. "Shortly before the Uchiha Clan Massacre, it had been discovered by Obito-san that Fugaku had betrayed the village seven years prior. He helped the accursed one take control of Okami Kyo-donno.

"We had received word that a follower of the accursed one had met up with Fugaku one day prior to the massacre, and I ordered Obito-san to give chase, intercept, and interrogate the agent.

"Little did I know what was truly happening behind the walls of the Uchiha compound."

* * *

Sasuke opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings. He recognized it immediately; it was the private training ground of the Uchiha Clan.

'_Wh-what happened?_' thought the Uchiha heir as he slowly stood to his feet and walked around, trying to remember how he ended up there. '_The last thing I remember was eating lunch with that dobe Naruto. How did I get out here of all places?_'

"_Big brother, you're the best!"_

Sasuke turned his head and was surprised to see two boys standing in the clearing. Kunai and shuriken were embedded into strategically placed targets, and the smaller of the two boys had been yapping incessantly to the older boy, who didn't seem to be listening.

"_You nailed every target, even the one in the Sharingan's blind spot!_" he shouted. The little boy grabbed some weapons and said, _"It's my turn now!"_

Sasuke's eyes widened as he watched the older boy turn around, "_No Sasuke, let's head back. I have an important mission to prepare for. I'll show you another time._"

Chibi Sasuke rolled his eyes and replied, "_You always say that! I think you're lying to me!_"

The older boy motioned for Chibi Sasuke to come to him. The boy smiled and raced toward him, only to get poked on the forehead.

"_Another time dobe,_" chuckled the older boy.

"_Watch big brother! One day, I'm gonna get so strong you won't ever be able to poke me anymore!_" shouted Chibi Sasuke.

Sasuke watched with increasing anger as the older boy's face finally came into full view. It was Itachi, smiling from ear to ear at his younger brother. Before Sasuke could react, a bright flash blinded him and obscured his vision. The ground beneath him gave out.

* * *

"Fugaku was planning a coup d'état of Konoha," continued Minato. "His plan was to unite the Uchiha clan against me, kill me, and appoint himself as the Hokage."

"I take it you expected this?" inquired the Fire Lord.

"I was blindsided by this actually," stated Minato. "I knew Fugaku hated me, but he was always extremely patriotic. Out of all the villagers, he was the one I least expected to do something like that."

The Fire Lord stroked his beard before asking, "I'm a fairly intelligent man so I can assume an Uchiha revealed this to you. But whom?"

Minato chuckled darkly before replying, "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

* * *

Sasuke opened his eyes and realized he was standing in a courtyard. It was much smaller than the one in the Uchiha compound and adorned with slides, jungle gyms, and swings.

'_This is the Academy playground!_' thought Sasuke as he walked around the courtyard. He spotted his younger self and became drawn, as if he had no control of his body. He noticed his father and one of his old teachers talking nearby.

"Trying to be like Itachi-san, eh Sasuke-kun?" asked the teacher as he ruffled the Chibi's hair, much too both incarnations of the Uchiha heir's annoyance.

Fugaku chuckled and said, "Sasuke is in great hands if you're his teacher."

"I had nothing to do with Itachi-san being the ninja he is," the teacher modestly rebuffed. "I didn't have to do anything; he was a pure genius! Such talent only comes once in a lifetime!"

The tension that both Sasukes felt was thicker then the densest Kiri fog. Sasuke growled as his curse mark burned hot with his anger as the memory began to fade from sight.

Sasuke opened his eyes and was in the den of his house. Fugaku an Itachi sat across from each other drinking tea. "I take it your mission was a success Itachi-san?" asked Fugaku as he sipped his tea.

"Yes sir," replied Itachi. "I'm officially in the ANBU Black Ops."

Fugaku laughed raucously and said, "What I expect from the greatest ninja our clan ever produced! One day, you'll surpass the great Madara-donno!"

"A lofty prediction, sir," replied Itachi stoically.

Fugaku chuckled and said, "Now if only we can make Sasuke a fraction of the ninja you are, our goals as a clan would be realized!"

"I think Sasuke has the potential to be a great ninja in his own right."

"But to be as good as you? That'll never happen!" Fugaku said as he laughed louder. Sasuke clenched his fists as his curse began to spread across his body.

"_See how he feels about us?_" Sasuke looked to his left to see his Chibi standing next to him, covered in the same demonic runes. "_Father believed that I was a failure, even after I brought home great grades. I had top marks every year, even after his death. He's probably laughing at us in the afterlife. I can't even beat a fucking Namikaze in a fight; I don't deserve the Uchiha name!_"

"No!" roared Sasuke. "I will beat him! Watch!"

"_We need more power! And Orochimaru has the power we seek!_"

"I won't go to that bastard!" spat Sasuke. "I want to beat Naruto and kill Itachi with my own power, not his!"

"**You fool!**" roared the Chibi as purple yokai swirled around him. "**I will show you just how weak you are!**"

Sasuke smirked as his curse receded and he activated his Sharingan. "I'm planning on kicking you out of my body! So I hope you enjoyed your time here!"

* * *

Naruto pulled himself out of the river for the second time, steadily getting angry that his attacks were failing. '_I don't get it! How did Orochimaru make Sasuke so much stronger?_' he thought.

Orochimaru chuckled and asked, "Did you know Ssssassssuke viewed you as hissss besssst friend?" His chuckles erupted into full-blown laughter. "Yessss, that'ssss what makessss thissss sssso perfect. Tell me, Kitssssune, have you ever heard of the Mangekyou Ssssharingan?"

'_Mangekyou?_' thought Naruto.

_**Kit, run as fast as you can! I cannot believe I did not see this coming! You need to get as far away from here as possible.**_

The sadistic smile on Orochimaru's face seemed to darken as he continued, "Yessss, lissssten to Okami-donno. The Mangekyou issss the true form of the Ssssharingan. It givessss itssss wielder accessss to the jutssssu of the godssss themsssselvessss."

_**Naruto, get out of here!**_

Despite Kyo's warning, Naruto stayed still, transfixed by the amount of evil radiating from the body of his former friend. It was damn near suffocating.

Orochimaru licked his lips in sadistic glee, happy that the boy was ignoring the pleas of his sensei. "But how doessss one achieve the eyessss of a god?" he asked, pausing for dramatic effect. "One gainssss thesssse magnificent powerssss by killing hissss besssst friend!"

Naruto's eyes widened as he realized what Orochimaru intended for him. "This wasn't about just getting Sasuke, was it?" asked Naruto softly as he bowed his head. "You knew I'd follow him; you wanted me too."

Orochimaru chuckled and replied, "Ssssomeone issss ssssmarter than I ever gave him credit for."

Naruto launched himself at Orochimaru and roared, "_**I'll never let you take us both!**_"

Orochimaru leapt from the top of Madara's statue, meeting Naruto halfway as their final battle began.

* * *

Chibi Sasuke roared as he charged Sasuke. The two launched a volley of punches, kicks, and blocks. Sasuke grabbed one of the smaller boy's legs to hold him in place, and then began punching him in his face, increasing the force of the succeeding punch. Chibi managed to wriggle his leg free, and rolled away from Sasuke to get some space. However, Sasuke didn't give him the opportunity.

"Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu)!" he shouted as he bombarded Chibi with a massive barrage of fire balls.

Chibi roared and spat a massive ball of yokai at Sasuke, who used his speed to sidestep the attack and charge his demonic counterpart. The demon prepared to counter the obvious attack, but was startled when his prey vanished in thin air. He became even more startled when Sasuke's elbow made its way into his neck, leaving Chibi gasping for air. Sasuke grabbed the demon by his neck and flung him into the air.

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)!" shouted Sasuke as he released a massive fireball, consuming the demon.

Before Sasuke could get comfortable, a massive pillar of water ripped through the fire and hit Sasuke head on, knocking him through several walls and out of the Uchiha compound.

"Is that the best you've got, little brother?"

Sasuke looked up and couldn't believe his eyes. Uchiha Itachi, wearing ANBU armor and covered in blood, stood before him, his Sharingan blazing with hatred.

_ (break) _

Orochimaru and Naruto both summoned their swords and engaged in a high velocity barrage of swipes, slashes, and blocks. Naruto kicked the Hebi-nin away, but Orochimaru flung his blade at Naruto with amazing strength. The Kitsune expected this and knocked it away with a roar. What he didn't expect was Orochiamru's foot to get familiar with his face. The kick knocked Naruto off of the statute once again, but the Kitsune recovered in midair and landed on the surface of the river nimbly on his feet.

"Issssn't thissss what you wanted, Naruto-kin?" asked Orochimaru as he materialized behind the Kitsune. Naruto slashed at him, but he vanished.

"I can feel it from Ssssassssuke'ssss memoriessss. You've waited for the moment where you could battle him with all of your sssstrength to ssssee who issss the sssstronger. Issss thissss fight all you hoped it would be?"

"You might be in his body, but this fight is nothing like what I wanted from Sasuke!" shouted Naruto. "You don't even fight like him!"

Orochimaru strung together hand seals and roared, "I'll sssshow you, you inssssolent bug! Chidori!"

The Hebi-sennin launched himself at Naruto, who had begun to focus his yokai into his palm. "Don't worry Sasuke! I'm coming for you! Rasengan!"

The two raced across the valley, roaring as they smashed their ultimate techniques into each other.

* * *

"H-H-How are you here?" shouted Sasuke as Itachi walked toward him.

"I live within this part of your mind. The part of your mind where your hatred festers and slowly has been consuming you these last few years," replied Itachi. "I am the final fork in the road for this journey you have been on. Defeat me and free yourself of Orochimaru's influence, or lose and become a slave to your hatred."

"I refuse to lose!" roared Sasuke as his curse began to spread across his body. "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"

The Uchiha heir released a massive ball of fire toward his older brother, engulfing him within the intense flames of the jutsu. A massive column of water ripped through the inferno and made its way toward Sasuke. The Genin barely moved out of the way in time as the column ripped past him and demolished his former house.

Itachi materialized in front of Sasuke and slashed at his brother's throat with his katana. The younger Uchiha bent over backwards to dodge the blade, but Itachi countered that by slamming his elbow into Sasuke's stomach. With a quick flick of his wrist, Itachi spun his blade around so the sharp end pointed at the prone boy and plunged it into his chest.

* * *

Orochimaru pulled himself to the surface of the river, panting as he surveyed the battlefield, searching for Naruto. '_Damn it! I ussssed the sssstrongesssst Chidori I could musssster and sssstill it wassssn't enough to kill that little brat!_' thought the Hebi-sennin. '_The only question now is, where is that brat hiding?_'

The Hebi-sennin's eyes widened and he quickly leapt to the shore as a massive yellow crescent of yokai rushed across the river. He drew two kunai and spun around as Naruto materialized behind him and attempted to behead him with the Ierokitsune. The resulting sword fight between the two occurred faster than even the eyes of an experienced Chuunin could comprehend.

Orochimaru managed to force himself away from Naruto and flung his kunai at the boy. He slipped beneath the water's surface after making clones of his kunai. Naruto expertly knocked away all the kunai, unaware that his opponent had slipped away.

_**Kit! Look out!**_

But it was too little, too late as Orochimaru burst from the surface of the river, covered in his curse and sporting a Chidori in his left hand. He pushed his full-powered Chidori into Naruto's back, and smiled gleefully as he felt his hand rip through the Kitsune's body and emerge from his chest. Naruto limply fell to the surface of the river and sank beneath it. Orochimaru laughed as his Sharingan activated and began to rotate.

* * *

_It cannot end like this! Orochimaru has just disturbed the balances of the world!_

**I don't see the big deal. Can you not just recreate the Kyuubi no Kitsune like you did with Naruto?**

_I can but as you recall, Naruto-kun and his brethren were the perfect candidates to become Bijuu because they were all babies; pure and innocent and able to handle the dark energy of a demon without becoming irreversibly corrupt. A new Kitsune would take too long to mature and defend the world against Riku-donno's "heir"._

**Then spare the life of Naruto as you did with his father.**

_It is not that simple. I stopped Minato from killing himself to seal the Kyuubi and Izuna; Naruto is already dead and even we cannot revive the dead._

**Then we should prepare for the worst.**

_Wait! Something is happening in the Mannaka no Riku (_The Land in the Middle_)[__**8**__]!_

* * *

Naruto and Kyo stood in a vacuum of white. The younger Kitsune was still shocked about what had just happened; the elder simply shook his head and began walking.

"H…How did he…" began Naruto, lost for words.

"_**He went underwater to cover up the Chidori's distinct sound and to sneak up on you while you were distracted by the kunai. I didn't sense him until he activated the curse,**_" explained Kyo as Naruto stumbled to keep up with his master.

"Where are we? Is this the Tentou?"

"_**This is the Mannaka no Riku. We are not quite dead yet. It is here where you decide: do you want to die, or do you want to fight?**_" answered Kyo as he sat down. "_**Uchiha.**_"

Naruto turned around to see Sasuke standing a few yards away. "Don't tell me he got you too," murmured Naruto as he tried to choke back some tears.

Sasuke walked up to the Kitsune and stared at his rival. "I couldn't do it. Itachi killed me spirit; my body is Orochimaru's now. I can't even protect myself; how can I kill Itachi?"

"_**And that is the problem with you Uchiha,**_" began Kyo. "_**You expect strength to come to you instantly, yet you fail to see that the life of the ninja is dedicated to power. The ninja, from his youth to his death, is in constant search of ways to make himself stronger. In the process, he gains the Will of Fire, the desire to live forever. Both of you have lost that today.**_"

"You shut up!" roared Sasuke.

"_**When I was not that much older than you both, I joined the army of Hi. I was a lot like you both; both unwarrantedly arrogant and foolishly naïve. A similar situation happened to me. I lost my will and nearly lost my life. But then I remembered that I had a purpose, a reason to keep living. What is the purpose of your life?**_"

"My whole purpose is to kill Itachi!" spat Sasuke.

"I plan to become the Hokage!" shouted Naruto.

Kyo chuckled wryly before replying, "_**Those are goals, not purposes. You both have the same purpose in life; but neither of you know what it is.**_"

"Who the fuck are you to tell me I don't know what my purpose in life is?" roared Sasuke angrily. While he and Kyo argued back and forth, Naruto began to think back to his first conversation with Kyo.

* * *

_"__**Konnichiwa Naruto-sama,"**__ he said. Naruto was shocked; no one had ever bowed to him or ever given him an honorific other than –kun before. Naruto bowed as well, lower than the man did and said:_

_"__**Konnichiwa, uh…"**_

_"__**Kyo. Okami Kyo**__," the man, er, Kyo replied. Naruto's eyes widened; a 1,000 year old imperial king was talking to him. Naruto's first reaction was:_

_"Oh my fucking God! I'm dead!" Naruto screamed. Kyo laughed and said:_

_"__**Hahahahahahahahahahaha! I had that same response when I came here 12 years ago,**__" Kyo said._

_"So where are we?" Naruto asked. He looked around to take in the scenery: vibrant green grass, tall trees, flowers growing all over the place, a massive river flowed through the crevice behind Kyo. The sky was blue and cloudless and the sun shone brightly in the sky._

_"__**We are in your mind Naruto-sama. Or, to be specific, the yang side of your mind [1]. This is the place where character traits like love, valor, honor, etc., etc. reside. That sewer system you were in connects your yin and yang**__**,**__" Kyo stated._

_"Oh…so I guess things like hatred, anger, and sadness live in the yin part?" Naruto asked. Kyo nodded and looked at the manhole._

_"__**Trust me, you NEVER want to go there. Those emotions are too powerful for you to overcome if they gang up on you. But that is not why I called you here. I called you here to warn you of the path you must take and the energy you posses,**__" he said._

_"__**See, you are a bijuu (**__Tailed Beast__**). Bijuu were the original heralds of Izanagi,**__" Kyo began. Naruto, who was sitting on the ground Indian-style, raised his hand and asked:_

_"Who's Izanagi?" Naruto asked._

_"__**The people of your time call him Kami. He is the man who granted us these awesome powers [2]. Now, the bijuu has one task and one task only: to actively seek out and destroy the vilest creatures in the human's realm. Never forget that bijuu are instruments of death and destruction.**__"_

_"So all I'm good for is killing?" inquired Naruto. "I became a ninja to become a Hokage and bring peace to the world."_

_"__**Nothing in life is so black and white. There are four classifications of beings: humans, demons, angels, and gods. Humans were created to be servants. They were supposed to make your realm better to please Izanagi. Demons were created to destroy any humans who went to the other side, the yin side. We are used as a final resort. Angels are healers of the soul; they make the souls of humans who were hurt and oppressed pure again. And the gods make sure everything remains balanced in our world.**_

_"__**Angels are called by the gods to purify lost souls to avoid unnecessary bloodshed and death. When that lost soul rejects an angel's attempt, one of two things happens. Either the lost soul continues about its downward path until he dies, or he attacks the angel. When that happens,"**__ Kyo stopped then pointed at Naruto, "__**Your kind is summoned. You rise up to defend the angels and send the souls to Shinigami. Do you understand now?**__"_

_Naruto nodded and replied, "I still have other questions, though. How did you get in my head? You died over a thousand years ago? And who exactly is Izanagi and Shinigami? Did they make me into this…this…beast?" Kyo flinched at the anger in Naruto's voice._

_"__**All things will be answered in due time. And let's get something straight kit. Be proud of what you are. Very few people have been blessed to possess the power you possess!**__" Kyo shouted at the blonde kitsune._

* * *

"My purpose is to be a protector," Naruto quietly replied.

Kyo and Sasuke stopped arguing, and the Okami let a small smile spread as he replied, "_**You remembered.**_"

"Sasuke, you have that cursed seal and that means you have yokai flowing through your veins! You're not meant to kill, you're meant to protect!" shouted Naruto. "It's also our purpose as ninja too!"

"Fuck everyone else!" shouted Sasuke. "All I want is Itachi's head!"

"Think about all the people you would protect by defeating Itachi then!" Naruto shouted back. "You know better than anyone what he's capable of! Think of all the people he could hurt if you don't stop him! Do you want another kid to go through what he put you through?

Naruto watched his comrade hesitantly as he began trembling slightly. The Uchiha raised his head, and Naruto saw something he never thought he would: tears.

"We'll do this your way," Sasuke mumbled softly as he began to fade away. "I'm not ready to die."

"_**Are you ready to save your comrade in arm?**_" asked Kyo as he extended his hand to his younger counterpart. "_**Our souls are intertwined; I cannot move on without you.**_"

Naruto smirked as he grabbed his sensei's hand. "Let's do it! I got something for Orochimaru!"

* * *

Minato sat at his desk, nervously finishing his paperwork. He was worried about the rookies he sent to retrieve Sasuke, especially Naruto. But he tried to force those thoughts out of his head and concentrate on his paperwork. He heard Shizune's voice from beyond the door and listened as she seemed to be arguing with someone.

"YOU CAN'T GO BACK THERE!...HE'S VERY BUSY!...WAIT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

The door exploded, sending splinters everywhere. Kakashi stood in the door way, his face contorted in anger. Minato sighed and wryly quipped, "The cost of that door is coming out of your paycheck."

"Why the fuck would you send Naruto after Sasuke?" shouted Kakashi. "He's a fucking rookie he's gonna get himself killed!"

"There was no other choice given the fact that we're still recovering from Oto's attack," replied Minato. "We're scraping the bottom of the barrel as is. And Naruto knows Sasuke better than anyone else in the village. I sent Obito to back them up a few hours ago. I need you to go back out on your next mission right away Kakashi."

Kakashi fidgeted as Minato began to explain his mission to him. The Yondaime sighed and said, "Obito is with them, Kakashi-san."

"But he's my little brother," Kakashi replied. "I'm going after them; with the Kaiten Me, I can cover more ground in ten minutes then Obito can cover in an hour."

Minato sighed and replied, "Go Kakashi. Make sure Naruto-kun comes home safe."

* * *

Orochimaru growled as he stared into the surface of the river. His Sharingan had not changed, despite killing Naruto. To say the Hebi-sennin was pissed would be an understatement.

"I don't get it! What did I do wrong?" he growled to the unnatural silence.

"_**I'll tell you want you did wrong.**_" Orochimaru spun around to see Naruto standing in the middle of the river. He watched in horror as Naruto began walking towards him, his horrific injury rapidly healing. "_**In order to activate the Mangekyou Sharingan, you have to kill your best friend, right? If I was your best friend, your evil plan would have worked.**_

"_**But I want to thank you, Orochimaru,**_" Naruto said darkly as he stopped two feet in front of the paralyzed Hebi-sennin. "_**You've just helped me unlock the first tail.**_"

Orochimaru's eyes widened as a yellow tendril made of pure yokai lashed out from behind the Kitsune and crashed into his chest, knocking him over the top of the waterfall. A shroud of yokai wrapped around Naruto as he released a primal, frightening roar.

* * *

Itachi gazed emotionlessly at his younger brother's carcass for a moment before turning to walk away. He shook his head as he murmured, "You'll always be a weakling Sasuke."

"Say that to my face bitch!"

The older Uchiha turned his head to see Sasuke pull the katana out of his chest.

"I'm surprised you're still alive, dobe," replied Itachi, his face still emotionless. "I really expected you to give up."

Chakra began to leak from Sasuke's body as he walked toward his brother. "I made myself a promise that I would kill you, and ever since I watched you slaughter our family, that promise turned into hatred and consumed me. But through all of that hatred, Itachi, I still respect you. You gained power your own way, even if you used that power to destroy our clan. If you became strong on your own, I will do the same and use my own power to kill you. My power and no one elses!" roared Sasuke as he launched himself at his brother.

* * *

Orochimaru managed to recover from Naruto's initial attack, but the empowered demon was hot on his tail. He swung his right fist at the Hebi-sennin, who managed to throw up a defense. The sheer strength of the punch, however, sent Orochimaru flying across the river once again.

"Katon: Goukukyuu no Jutsu!" roared Orochimaru as he released a massive fireball at Naruto, who was flying toward him.

With a powerful roar, Naruto dispelled the jutsu and knocked the Otokage into the river. He quickly materialized in front of him and delivered a high speed volley of blows. Orochimaru was unable to block a single blow as each punch landed with bone crunching ferocity. With the final punch, Naruto launched Orochimaru into the wall of the valley. He materialized in front of the Hebi-sennin and began punching him repeatedly in the face.

"_**Give…me…back…Sasuke!**_" he roared in between each punch. He paused as Orochimaru began to chuckle.

"I really didn't want to usssse thissss sssso ssssoon but you leave me no choice!" He shouted as he activated his curse faster than Naruto anticipated.

Orochimaru landed a quick barrage of punches on the Kitsune's stomach, knocking him off of him and allowing him to free himself from the wall. He smirked as black and purple yokai radiated from his body and his Sharingan reactivated.

"**It'ssss time to finissssh Ssssassssuke'ssss demonification processssssss!" **spat Orochimaru gleefully as he became enshrouded in a yokai cocoon.

* * *

Sasuke swung the katana in his hands, intent on decapitating the incarnation of his brother. Itachi merely blocked the blade with his forearm and used his free hand to punch Sasuke in the face, knocking him through the wall of their ruined home.

The younger Uchiha barrel rolled as his brother materialized behind him, intent on stomping on his head. He leapt up and kicked his brother over and over in the face, but Itachi powered through the blows to grab Sasuke's ankle and fling him out of the window.

Sasuke noticed that his brother was steadily getting stronger, and his skin and hair was beginning to lighten. 'What the fuck is going on here?' thought Sasuke as two big hand-like wings burst from Itachi's back.

"**I'm sorry dobe, but I won't allow you to leave here easily,**" said Itachi as he materialized behind Sasuke.

He chopped the boy in his shoulder and listened as the sickening sound of Sasuke's shoulder blade shattering filled the otherwise still air. The monstrous Uchiha landed several power blows on his brother, shattering his bones with each blow. With a final backhand, Sasuke was knocked across the Uchiha compounded and in front of the door of death. Itachi materialized over his brother, grabbed either side of his skull, and began squeezing.

* * *

Obito raced at full speed through the forest as he tried to get an exact lock on Naruto and Sasuke's chakras. 'Where the hell are they? They both have very distinct energies; I should have been able to feel them by now,' he thought.

"Why the fuck are you stopping?"

Obito shook his head as Kakashi materialized next to him. "Maybe you haven't noticed, but we can't sense the boys' chakras, meaning that we don't know where they—"

A massive pillar of black yokai shot up into the sky in the horizon, spreading killing intent for miles. "How much do you wanna bet that's where they are?" quipped Kakashi as he raced toward the yokai.

"Yeah, yeah, wise guy," murmured Obito as he followed his comrade.

* * *

Naruto formed two massive yokai claws and flung them into the yokai cocoon, piercing through it. Orochimaru cursed as Naruto ripped through it.

'_Damn it!_' he cursed mentally. '_I wassss almosssst finisssshed; I'll have to hold him off for a few more minutessss._'

Naruto launched himself toward Orochimaru, fist cocked back. The Kitsune noticed that his opponent was much faster, as he couldn't land a single hit on him. Orochimaru punched Naruto with all the strength he could muster, knocking the boy off the edge of the waterfall once again.

'_**Kyo-sensei, what the fuck is going on? I can't touch him all of a sudden!**_'

_**This is bad Naruto-kun! Orochimaru began what is known as demonification, a process that turns any being without yokai into a demon: the very process that Orochimaru has enacted within you. Demonification is usually harmless, except for one vital flaw. The host body has a demon sealed within it, and whoever is the dominant mentality at the end of the process is the one who survives!**_

'_**Are you…are you telling me if I don't defeat this creep, Sasuke could vanish completely?**_'

_**If you want to save Sasuke-kun, you must defeat Orochimaru before his body transforms or there will not be a Sasuke left to save!**_

Naruto vanished, attempting to flank the Hebi-sennin, who merely countered with a powerful roundhouse kick, knocking him off the waterfall yet again. He laughed maniacally as he shouted, "**My Ssssharingan is much more powerful now that yokai issss powering it! You're not sssso ssssmug now, are you, you filthy demon sssscum?**"

Orochimaru materialized over the Kitsune and picked him up. "**Any lassst—!**"

Naruto roared as he released a gigantic wave of yokai that knocked Orochimaru into the waterfall. He launched himself at Orochimaru, who smirked as he anticipated a left hook from the Kitsune. Unexpectedly, Naruto's energy tail lashed out and smashed into the Hebi-sennin's chest, burning through his shirt and leaving a diagonal burn across his torso. Orochimaru screeched in pain as he was knocked under the waves of the river.

With a frighteningly feral roar, Naruto dove under the waves and materialized behind Orochimaru. He formed a yokai claw and swatted the Hebi-sennin toward the riverbed.

'**What issss going on?**' bristled Orochimaru. '**I can predict the movementssss of that monsssstrocity'ssss body, but not of that damned yokai cloak!**'

Naruto grabbed Orochimaru's ankle and with a powerful heave, tossed him through the surface and high into the sky. The Hebi-sennin wasted no time as he released a massive black fireball toward the river just as Naruto surfaced, consuming him.

Much to Orochimaru's intensifying fears, Naruto emerged from the inferno directly in front of him and grabbed his face. He extended his yokai claw with tremendous velocity into the wall. The Kitsune yanked Orochimaru back to him and chased after him with a higher level of velocity, free hand cocked back. With a roar, Kitsune fist met Hebi cheek. And the resulting sonic boom destroyed the nearby statue of Uchiha Madara.

Naruto began walking to wreckage of the statue, ready to pry Orochimaru from his friend's body. Black yokai began to pour from the crevices in the ground as a sickly gray hand rose from the rocks.

"**I applaud you, Naruto-kun. I alwayssss knew you were sssspecial, but to think you'd become thissss sssstrong thissss ssssoon wassss ssssomething even I couldn't calculate,**" congratulated Orochimaru as he pulled himself out of the wreckage. Naruto gasped in pain as he viewed the possessed body of his comrade. "**But now that I am in control of Ssssassssuke'ssss body for good, you have failed your missssssion!**"

Naruto was flung across the valley as Orochimaru smacked him with his hand-shaped wing. The Hebi-sennin walked out, completely demonized.

"**Now what will you do? Ssssassssuke issss all mine now and I have won!**" laughed Orochimaru maniacally.

Naruto extended his arm as he focused all of his yokai into his palm. "The only thing I can do is what Sasuke would have wanted if I failed to save him: _**destroy his body!**_" roared Naruto as he raced toward Orochimaru. "_**Rasengan!**_"

Orochimaru quickly strung together hand seals and shouted, "Chidori!"

The two ninja sped toward each other with blinding speed and as their jutsus connected, Kakashi and Obito materialized on the end of the valley.

"We're too late!" shouted Kakashi as a massive dome of yokai enshrouded the two ninja and extended across the valley.

* * *

Sasuke vainly attempted to wriggle free from the grip of his brother. "Why do you continue to fight back when it's all futile?" inquired Itachi as he applied more pressure on his brother's skull. "I'm stronger now then you'll ever be!"

Sasuke smirked faintly as he replied, "You may be…stronger but…this is my mind!" Itachi stopped squeezing and screamed as his body began to crack. "I let my anger cloud my mind, and that prevented me from realizing that so long as this is my mind I control what happens in it, including who inhabits it!"

Itachi howled as he shattered into a million pieces like glass. Sasuke turned and limped toward a door that sprung out of the ground. He opened it and walked up a massive stone staircase for what felt like an eternity before stopping in front of another door, this one larger and grander in appearance. With a flick of his wrist, the doors magically opened and the Uchiha heir walked through.

"Where are you, Orochimaru?" spat Sasuke as he scanned the room for any signs of the snake. His inquiries were greeted by a large white snake baring the Hebi-sennin's likeness coming into view.

"Why musssst you be sssso difficult?" roared Orochimaru as Sasuke leaned against the door. "Jusssst accept that you are weak without me! Do you think killing Itachi will be assss eassssy assss it wassss jusssst now?"

Sasuke chuckled softly before replying, "I'd rather die at his hands because he has more power in his eyes then I, the die a servant of any man. In short, it's time for you to fuck off and out of my body!"

Orochiamaru roared as he sprang toward the boy. Sasuke flicked his wrist and watched as the snake shattered into a million pieces. He slumped over toward the floor and whispered, "It's finally over."

* * *

Kakashi and Obito raced down the valley as the yokai dome finally subsided. They searched for signs of their young wards, but couldn't find any traces of them or their energy.

"Did they destroy each other?" Obito solemnly asked as his comrade dropped to his knees. He kneeled down and consoled Kakashi as the man began to mourn the loss of his brother.

Suddenly, Naruto fell on Kakashi's head, causing the older man to curse loudly. Sasuke followed suit, knocking poor Kakashi clean out.

"Oy, these two are true headaches," quipped Obito as he picked up the unconscious boys and kicked his old friend. "Wake up lazy! We need to go!"

* * *

Next Time: Obito! Jiraiya! I'm giving you both SS-Rank missions! The eve of the war is tonight and I need you to train the leaders of the future! Can you both handle that!

Hai, Hokage-donno!

_Epilogue! The Leaders of Tomorrow!_

* * *

1- ?

2- Doton: Gahou no Shida (_Earth Release: Spores of a Fern_): The user must possess the Shikotsumyaku kekkei genkei to utilize this jutsu. The user sends his bones into the ground and forces them out under his opponent, hoping to skewer them.

3- Katon: Napa-muryu (_Fire Release: Dragon Napalm_): The user releases a massive stream of fire. The jutsu is easy to dodge from long range, and is often used to distract an enemy or lead him into another jutsu.

4- Katon: Ryukobushi (_Fire Release: Dragon's Fist_): The user manipulates an existing source of fire to wrap around his fist. He then punches a target, creating an explosion proportional to the amount of fire used.

5- Katon: Uzumaki no Shinsei (_Fire Release: Whirlpool of Fire_): The user releases a swirling inferno that consumes a target.

6- Renkinjutsu: Tenkuu: Natsuin no Shishionjun (_Alchemy: Ether: Seal of the Tamed Lion_): The user channels all of a specific target's hostile energy into a medium and seals it away. Like all Renkinjutsu, a certain seal must be made in a target are for this jutsu to work.

7- Ninpou: Bakuyakunami (_Ninja Art: Explosive Wave_): The user releases a massive wave of chakra within a set radius around himself.

_8- Mannaka no Riku (_The Land in the Middle_)_: A land of nothing located in between the Afterlife, the Makai, and the Tentou.


End file.
